


The Rights Of A Nindroid

by Anonymous



Series: Ninjago Things [8]
Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Between DotD and Season 7, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, Dehumanization, Hallucinations, I know I have other things to be working on please don’t kill me, I updated the rating to Mature because I forgot torture would go there oof, Kidnapping, M/M, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Psychological Torture, Psychological Trauma, The Author Regrets Nothing, Torture, Zane has a Bad Time, Zane is way too trusting, zangst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-14 10:48:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 25
Words: 47,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28669479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Zane was only trying to go shopping, but it seems that the government has other ideas. Who knew that Zane was legally considered an object?And who knew that his father’s death would mean that he legally belongs to the government?
Relationships: Cole/Jay Walker, Cole/Kai (Ninjago), Cole/Kai/Jay Walker/Zane, Cole/Zane (Ninjago), Cryptor & Zane (Ninjago), Jay Walker/Zane, Kai/Jay Walker, Kai/Zane (Ninjago), Sentry/Cryptor (Ninjago)
Series: Ninjago Things [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1686901
Comments: 269
Kudos: 144
Collections: Fanfic Anonymous





	1. “Is There A Problem, Officers?”

When Zane wakes up that morning, the Bounty is quiet- likely because he gets up about an hour before the others usually do. 

After checking the refrigerator, he decides to pick up some groceries for the team, despite it being Cole’s turn- the black ninja typically comes back with a surplus of junk food and relatively little amounts of healthy ingredients, no matter what Zane puts on the actual shopping list.

Messaging the others in order to inform them that he’ll be back shortly after their normal breakfast time, he heads out to the store, enjoying the quietness of the early morning. 

He only makes it a few blocks away before a cop car pulls up beside him. Frowning, he pauses. Is there some kind of criminal roaming around here? Perhaps he could help apprehend them.

Two cops get out of the car, and Zane decides to voice the idea. “Is there a problem, officers?” He prompts. “Do you need assistance with it?”

The first cop- a brunet only just shorter than Zane- starts to speak. “I’m sorry about this, but we’re going to need-“

The second cop- a short blond- glares at the first as he interupts. “Actually, yeah, we could use your help. You’re the white ninja, right? Zane? It would be great if we could have your help with a government… “ He pauses a moment. “... **_project_ ** .”

The pause is somewhat concerning, but likely not a real issue. “I would be happy to assist.” He smiles. “If you tell me the location, I could have my teammates join us and also-“

“It would be better if it was just you.” The brunet interrupts. 

The other cop nods. “It’s a low profile thing.” He agrees. “And no offense to your teammates, but they usually grab a lot of attention.”

With a small chuckle, Zane nods. “That they do. If it is low profile, would it be better for me to ride with you? Or should I get a vehicle of my own?”

The brunet starts heading back to the car. “It would be better if you rode with us.” He decides.

So Zane gets in the back of the car, letting the two cops take charge of directions. Unsure of what level of volume would be appropriate, he elects to remain silent to avoid a possibly uncomfortable situation. 

Soon enough, they reach an odd-looking facility that appears to belong to the government- and strangely enough, a quick GPS check shows that the site is non-existent, implying that it is a top-secret base of some sort. 

Getting out of the car, Zane lets himself be led into the facility, warily eyeing the large number of security guards swarming the area. 

“May I have more information on what this ‘project’ is?” He prompts, hand coming down to brush against one of his shurikens. 

“We can talk more inside.” The taller cop tells him as they go up the doors. In order to get inside, he uses three complex key patterns, a vocal recognition pattern sensor, and a form of facial recognition scanner.

“That is quite elaborate.” Zane notes. “I take it this project is important.” 

But he doesn’t say anything more on the matter when he’s taken back, nor when they insist on confiscating his weapons. The shurikens don’t matter all that much anyway, he is well versed in multiple martial arts. 

As he’s led through the halls, he could almost swear that he can hear distant muffled screaming. But no one else seems to be affected, so he brushes it off as some distorted echo. After all, this is a government facility. It would be highly unlikely for something illegal enough to cause that much pain to be happening in a place like this. 

Once taken into a medium-sized room- a room that has a mirror that is likely actually of one way glass- he is instructed to sit at a table, directly across from a government official.

“Hello, Zane.” The woman smiles. “I’m going to ask you a few questions. It’s going to be important for you to answer truthfully.”

Zane nods his confirmation, accompanying it with a verbal one. “I will answer them to the best of my ability.” After a moment of thought, he decides that it would be best to wait on asking his own queries until after they have asked theirs.

“Thank you. What was your creator’s full name?”

“Doctor Julien.” Zane answers the question without pause. 

The woman shakes her head. “His full, legal name.” She corrects, glancing over at the mirror. The minor action confirms that it is, in fact, one way glass. 

With a blink of surprise, Zane answers the question. He’s asked several more, all about his father and any possible relatives he may have. The second piece is negatory; his father was an only child and far too old for any immediate family members to be alive.

After six minutes and nine seconds, the woman smiles again. “Thank you, Zane. Someone will be back with you shortly.” 

With that, she gets up and heads out, leaving Zane behind.

Puzzled by the questions and events, Zane attempts to send a message to his boyfriends in order to inform them that he will be later than he had expected- but strangely enough, it doesn’t go through. Frowning, he tries a second time, but he once again fails.

That’s mildly concerning, but likely has a logical explanation. Perhaps no one here can send messages as a way to increase the difficulty of hacking. Given the secrecy he has already seen, that would be reasonable.

So he waits patiently at the table, occasionally sneaking stealthy glances at the one way glass. Something about this situation seems suspicious, but there’s likely no real cause to it. Perhaps he has adopted part of Jay’s paranoid nature.

A smile finds him at the humorous thought, but before he has the chance to think on it further, the door to the room opens, and a new official walks in.

“Zane, it’s… nice to meet you. I’m going to need you to fill out some papers.” The man tells him in a rather rude tone.

Zane chooses not to comment on his unpleasant mannerisms. “I would be happy to.” He gives a friendly smile, hoping that staying composed and being affable may help with what is bothering the official.

He begins to fill out the papers he was given, but as he goes on, the questions seem to grow more and more invasive, until he finds himself pausing. 

Zane looks up from the paper, setting his pencil down. “My apologies, but I am not comfortable answering these questions. The way my systems work is rather a personal matter.” 

“Yes, well, I need you to answer them anyway.” The man’s smile is tight and forced, not expressing happiness in the slightest.

“I’m not comfortable with that.” Zane repeats, a note of annoyance creeping into his voice. He stares the official down, making sure he knows that he will not be backing down on this matter.

“I didn’t ask if you were comfortable.” The man’s eyes express sharp malice as his false smile drops. “I told you to fill out the papers.”

“And I told you no.” Zane stands up abruptly, still holding cold eye contact. “I’ll be leaving now.”

A spark of anger lights in the man’s eyes. “No, you won’t.” He stands up as well, annoyance and hatred on his face. “You’re not going anywhere.”

“I don’t believe that’s your call to make.” Zane doesn’t blink and doesn’t back down- but he does refrain from allowing the temperature to drop from his powers.

“It is, actually.” The official insists. Does he genuinely believe that? 

This is not a debate that he’s willing to be having, so it is time to end the discussion. “Is that so?”

“Sit down,  **_nindroid_ ** .” He says the final word as though it’s an insult rather than a descriptor. “This isn’t up to your programming.”

“My progr- just what, exactly, are you trying to imply?” Zane knows he should simply walk out the door, but at the moment, he is completely floored by the implications of his words. 

Is he truly under the impression that-

His attention is grabbed by the door being opened, and his eyes widen in surprise when he sees a large group of security guards entering, all wielding laser guns not unlike the ones Cyrus Borg had designed.

Zane quick backs away, narrowing his eyes. So they plan to hold him hostage? “I must warn you that even unarmed, I am still a trained ninja. I recommend that you stand down.”

The guns are aimed at him, all centered on non-vital parts of his body- though any shots that hit would likely give them enough time to restrain him.

Then he must not get hit. And for that, he should make the first move.

Zane takes a step forward, attempting to blast a shield of ice to block off any possible shots. But much to his dismay, he discovers that his elemental powers are not working, and a quick scan confirms that the entire building is lined with vengestone in the walls.

This is… quite the situation. 

A few shots are fired at him, and he quickly ducks, flipping backwards to avoid getting injured. Unfortunately, he discovers only a moment too late that they were expecting that, and a shot was fired to where he had dodged, leading to a laser blast grazing his right calf, making him stumble.

They must have analyzed his fighting style before he arrived in order to predict his movements!

This brief lapse in balance is all it takes for them to completely surround him. With narrowed eyes, he begins to start making the moves of spinjitzu, but his damaged leg causes him to fall. His failure to combat them with the tactic gives them the opportunity to handcuff him, as well as manhandle him onto his knees.

Zane glares up at the official. “I do not know what you have planned, but I must warn you that such an illegal action will have consequences, even for an official such as yourself. I-“

The man shakes his head. “Take it away.” He orders.

Zane finds himself being dragged along, unable to effectively resist the guards. Eventually, he’s taken to a new room with a set of rectangular locker-like cubbies. 

With wide eyes, a sudden realization strikes him as he looks at the lockers, and he resumes his struggling. 

These lockers are just large enough to fit a person inside. Or more accurately for this circumstance, a nindroid.

“I want my phone call.” He demands as he’s forcibly dragged closer.

One of the guards scoffs. “You don’t get one.” He sounds almost insulted by the idea.

Zane manages to resist some, buying himself some time to continue speaking. “Legally you are required to-“ 

A different guard incredulously asks, “Do you- do you  **_actually_ ** think you have the rights of a human?”

Zane pauses a few moments, confused by the words. “Yes? I thought that-“

He’s unable to continue due to the way he’s roughly manhandled into the cubby, and as he's about to argue, the door is slammed in his face.

Despite the way he struggles against it, the exit is firmly blocked off, leaving him quite effectively contained.

After a few minutes of struggling, he concludes that he will have to wait until they reopen it to make his escape.

With a sigh, he leans back against the wall, shifting uncomfortably in the small space. There is less than an inch of space surrounding him on all sides, leading to a rather cramped arrangement.

“What just happened?” He murmurs softly to himself, listening as the booted footsteps of the guards fade away. These events had occurred so suddenly that his processor is stuck playing catch up. 

Closing his eyes, he decides to go into sleep-mode for a while, though he keeps his senses dialed high enough that any nearby noise will wake him. 

He can make his escape when they return.


	2. This Is... Less Than Ideal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 😈

Kai paces around the kitchen, checking the clock again. “Zane said shortly after our normal breakfast time, which is at eight. It’s ten! Why is he not here yet?!” 

He knows it’s unlikely that something is wrong, but he can’t help but worry. This isn’t something that normally happens with Zane… 

“I’m sure he’s fine.” Nya assures, confirming his logical side. “Something probably came up. He’ll be back soon.”

“He’s never late!” Jay argues from his spot on the table, sitting on the ledge rather than in a chair- and action that Zane would scold him for, if he was home.

“If something came up, he would’ve told us.” Cole agrees as he sits down, staring at his watch. “We haven’t heard a thing.”

Lloyd chews on his lip, kicking out his legs from where he sits on the counter to occasionally mess with Kai’s pacing- something that he would normally be annoyed with, but is too concerned at the moment to actually complain. “Can we track him?”

Jay blinks a few times. “That’s… actually a good idea.” He admits, tapping at his BorgWatch. Then his eyes widen. “His signature’s gone.” He breathes out. “Why is his signature gone?!”

Kai feels himself snap to attention. “It’s  **_gone_ ** ? What could do that?” He demands, rushing over to his ginger boyfriend.

Nya taps at her own watch. “A lot of things- and none of them good.” She admits, glancing over at Lloyd.

Cole stands up from his seat. “Okay, so we know that something is wrong. We need to find Zane. How can we do that?”

Lloyd also gets up. “Jay, Nya- see if you can find any cameras that show what happened to him.” He instructs, then turns to Kai and Cole. “The three of us will go out and see if we can find any clues.” He decides.

Kai nods, practically vibrating with his worry. They need to find Zane, and they need to find him  **_now_ ** .

With his signature missing, who knows where he is… 

{ { { { { { { { { { ~ } } } } } } } } } }

Zane is instantly alert as footsteps come closer, and he tenses, preparing to make an escape. He may only get one chance, so he must use it wisely.

When the door opens, he surges forward, using his cuffed hands as a form of bludgeoning weapon.

Much to his dismay, the guards seem to have been expecting that, and no one is there- they had opened the door while standing to the side, leaving the direct forward empty. This results in him stumbling, as there is no force opposing his attack.

This stumble allows the guards to catch him once again, rendering him once again helpless to the whims of his captors. 

Despite the way he struggles, they still manage to bring him into a new section of the facility, and-

Zane feels his eyes widen as he comes to a realization of what this room is likely meant for, given the things inside.

A workshop. This in itself would not normally be a cause for alarm, but given the specific tools and the way the work table has restraints… 

He picks up his struggling once again, this time finding it within himself to speak.

“Stop! Let- let go of me!” He demands, unable to hide the quiver in his voice. The tools themselves are not inherently threatening; Jay has used many of them in his repairs. However, these circumstances are vastly different from the way his boyfriend would fix him after a mission.

“Stop, I said! Release me!” His pleas fall on deaf ears, it seems, because he is still taken to the table, his handcuffs hooked on a piece of metal and clamped in place, forcing his arms above his head. He attempts to kick the guards, but his legs are restrained just as quickly, leaving him helpless to whatever fate awaits him.

Without any words, the guards leave the room, save for two, one at each of the doorways that could have served as escapes if not for the way he had been bound to the table.

A new man comes up to him, dressed differently from the officials or guards, instead wearing an outfit more suited to a mechanic.

The man comes up to Zane, pulling apart the top of his gi to get to his chest plate.

“ **_Wait_ ** !” Zane shouts, struggling in his bonds. “You can’t-“ He fumbles for words, too panicked to figure them out. “Please, stop!” 

The man doesn’t listen, instead choosing to open up Zane’s chest plate the rest of the way. Unfortunately, it seems that they had thought this through- he’s almost completely immobilized. 

“This isn’t- stop it! Let go of me!” Zane demands, despite knowing that if they’ve come this far, there is only an infinitesimally small chance that they would genuinely listen.

“ **_Please_ ** !”

In a surprising but very relieving turn of events, the man does pause in his work, turning and calling out to one of the nearby guards.

“Should I mute its vocals?” He asks.

Zane closes his mouth fast enough that there’s an audible click.  **_Mute him_ ** ? They- no, they couldn’t do that! He- no, they… they can’t… 

He’s not an  **_it_ ** , either. He is capable of conscious thought, the same way a human would be. Where did they get the idea that he’s lesser? Despite being mechanical, he’s always been on par with the intelligence of humankind. Why would they think otherwise? There isn’t any evidence to support the idea that-

A wire being tugged on draws him from his thoughts, warnings popping up in his vision to emphasize the issue- though it’s not as though he didn’t notice himself.

“Stop it!” Zane snaps, straining against the bonds that hold him once again. They may attempt to harm him all they wish, but he will not allow this to happen so easily.

His words are ignored. “Give me that scanner, yeah?” The man calls towards the other doorway; the one that Zane had not entered through. “I’m gonna need it; its system’s more complex than we thought.”

A loud sigh comes from a young woman as she steps into the workshop. “I’m going to need it back.” She warns, handing the brunet the device.

The man turns back to Zane. “Yeah, I’ll give it back after this shift.” He confirms.

With a nod, the woman heads back into the side room.

The man returns to examining his wiring in such a way that makes Zane feel almost as though he’s some form of lab rat; a lesser being used for experimenting on.

It is not a pleasant feeling.

No matter how he strains and attempts to resist, no progress is gained, and he remains quite firmly trapped. 

Eventually the man seems to grow tired of him, and roughly clangs a tool against one of his sensors, tearing a cry from him.

“Behave,  **_nindroid_ ** .” He snarls. “I don’t have time for your delusions.”

“I am beginning to grow tired of this assumption that I am lesser.” Zane snaps. “I am just as sentient as any human, and I expect to be treated as such!”

A wrench is used to hit him across the face, hard enough that his head is roughly forced to the side, slamming into the side of the table.

Zane clenches his teeth and turns back to the man, preparing to unleash a rant- but something peculiar happens.

The man turns to a guard. “Yeah, this one will need training too.” He sighs. “Was kinda hoping it’d behave.”

“Training?” Zane questions. “What is that supposed to mean?” An edge of unease has crept into him. Something is telling him that the ‘training’ he’s referring to will not be pleasant.

No matter what he does, he’s ignored for the rest of the time- his words and attempts at resisting aren’t even acknowledged. 

That is quite odd, but Zane would not put it past them to be finding enjoyment in his suffering- he’s found that some humans have the disturbing habits of putting salt on snails and squashing bugs solely because they have power over what is considered a lesser being.

They have blatantly stated that they view him as worth less than humankind- that point was quite firmly driven home by the use of the pronoun ‘it’ to refer to him. Due to the circumstances, it seems that all he can do is hope that they treat him with at least the dignity given to most kinds of laboratory animals- there are laws in place that allow the majority of non-human living beings that are tested to be treated humanely. 

Yet even that seems unlikely. Such laws only apply to vertebrate animals, and while not explicitly stated in the legal documents, it is quite heavily implied that this only applies to organic life forms.

This is…  **_less than ideal_ ** . Even so, he will do his best to power through until the others come for him- he had informed them that he would only be slightly late. It will not take long for them to realize that something is wrong. 

They will come for him. He will just have to be patient… and pray that his captors do not plan to disassemble him fully in the meantime.


	3. This Is Fine... From A Legal Standpoint

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is only around 1,000 words, but most future chapters will be around 2,000. Sorry for how short this one is lol

By the time the man has finished examining the inner workings of his chest, Zane is exhausted. Not only had the mental strain and the way his sensors had been abused left him worn out, but his attempts to resist had rendered him to exhaustion.

“Have you finished?” He struggles to get the words out; every part of him feels as though it had been lit ablaze, even the parts that had not been touched. While his words were supposed to come out as annoyed, there is an unintentional hopeful lit to them, showcasing his desperation.

The man rolls his eyes, choosing instead to talk to a guard. “I got some good data, but I’ll need some time to examine it on a computer before I can learn more from it.”

Zane breathes a quiet sigh of relief. After this, he would very much prefer the box that they had left him in previously. It may be cramped, but it is certainly better than being tinkered with.

The guard nods. “If you’re finished, we’re supposed to take it to start its training.”

There’s the mention of ‘training’ again. What do they plan to do to him? 

Guards re-enter, and against his will, Zane is dragged into another room and chained to the floor.

There’s a large light shining down from above, illuminating the area around him in the otherwise dark room.

The guards leave once again, and a new official enters, a woman that he can’t quite make out the details of due to the bright light in his eyes.

“You are a nindroid. This makes you lesser.” Her voice is strict and firm, brooking no room for argument.

“Why are you lesser to humankind?”

Zane glares. “I am equal to any human.” He argues. He’s unsure of what her current intentions are, but he knows that her statement is incorrect. 

“You’re lesser because you’re a nindroid.” She corrects in a sharp tone. 

“I am an equal to humankind.” Zane repeats, annoyance starting to seep through him. What are they playing at here?

The chains are suddenly ablaze with electricity, a pulse blasting through him and aggravating his sensors to the point where he screams, unable to fully process the pain. The energy disperses after a few moments, but the threat of a repeat remains.

“You are lesser,  **_nindroid_ ** .”

Zane shakes his head weakly, trying to even out his breathing. While he might not need air, a false respiratory system is good for keeping his circuits cool. “I am equal.” He snaps, preparing for a second blast.

Because this is their game. Mental manipulation. He has heard of this type of torture before- it is a way of manipulating the victim into blindly listening to the authority figures around them.

The pain comes, but differently. It is still electrical signals, but it stimulates his sensors differently, instead producing the feeling of needles jammed into his body.

Another cry of pain escapes him, and if he had tear ducts, he would likely be crying. They are certainly starting this at quite an extreme, but not for a moment does he doubt that it will get worse.

“You are lesser because you’re a nindroid.” The official speaks firmly, voice leaving no room for doubt, if not for the fact that she is speaking a blatant lie.

“Now tell me, nindroid… why are you beneath mankind?” She demands, clearly looking for his submission.

Zane braces himself for the pain once again, closing his eyes as he accepts what will happen.

“I am equal to any human.”

{ { { { { { { { { { ~ } } } } } } } } } }

It’s been three days since Zane went missing, and Jay’s just about  **_lost it._ **

No matter how hard they look, no matter how many cameras they hack, no matter who they ask, there’s no sign of him. It’s like he’s vanished off the face of the planet!

Rubbing at his eyes, Jay turns back to his computer, preparing to run another search. There’s gotta be something that he’s missing, something that he hasn’t thought of.

The door is suddenly thrown open, and Cole rushes into the room. “I have an idea.” He wears a determined look as he goes over Jay, a smile crossing his face as he gets closer.

“I filed a missing persons report.” 

Jay blinks a few times, processing his words- he hasn’t really slept well the last two nights. “You what?” He frowns.

Then it registers, and his eyes widen. “That- a missing persons report! Why didn’t we think of that sooner?!” 

Cole shrugs. “Either way, now that we’ve gotten the police involved, we-“

Kai runs into the room, visible stress on his face. “Bridge, now. We have a problem.” As soon as he’s delivered his message, he runs out again, leaving the two mechanics alone again.

They both stay there for a moment, sharing a confused glance. 

Then they’re rushing to the bridge, practically falling over themselves on the way.

It takes only a minute to get there, but the others are still already waiting by the time they do.

Lloyd is the first one to speak. “There’s good news and bad news, but I think the bad significantly outweighs the good here.”

Kai shakes his head. “Okay, get to the point. You said it’s something about Zane. Do we know what happened to him?”

“We know he’s alive, at least- and we’re working on figuring out where he is. But the bad news is…” Lloyd trails off, looking over at Nya.

Nya sighs. “The way we figured it out was because of the missing persons report- the police called us back to say that Zane doesn’t qualify as a person.”

Jay blinks a few times, trying to make sure he heard that right. “Did- did you just say that they think Zane’s not a person?!”

Lloyd nods. “That led us to do some digging on what legal things could be going on with Zane- if he doesn’t qualify as a person, what could they legally get away with?”

“I don’t like the sound of that.” Kai glances around the room, clearly uncomfortable.

“Me either. But cut to the chase- what did we learn about what happened to Zane?” Cole presses.

With a slight shake of her head, Nya continues. “That’s important because… legally, Zane is an object- physical property. And he belongs to the government.”

There’s a brief silence after her statement. Complete and total silence to the point where the only thing heard was a nearby clock ticking.

Then Kai speaks, and in just a few short words, summarizes what they’re all feeling.

“What the ** _fuck_**?”


	4. Be Strong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new character appears! But are they really who they once were?

It has been what Zane believes to be one week since his capture. He is unsure if this is entirely factual, however, due to issues with his internal clock and a lack of windows. 

Any time not spent being experimented on or in ‘training’ is spent in the locker that he was put into on his first day.

Today he is once again taken to the training room and chained down, and he takes a deep breath as he prepares himself for what will come.

But much to his surprise, the light is slightly dimmer- just enough that he is actually able to make out his surroundings.

Someone else enters the room alongside the woman, and Zane feels his eyes widen and shock overtake him as he recognizes them.

“Cryptor?” He breathes, watching his old foe walk in, completely unrestrained. “What-“

“Do not speak, Original. You have not been spoken to.” Cryptor orders, his voice cutting through the air like a whip.

Zane opens his mouth to speak, but the woman does first. “It hasn’t learned it’s place yet. You’re here to help teach it of that.”

Cryptor nods. “Yes, Master.” He agrees, completely devoid of emotion. “How should I go about doing so?”

“However you see fit.” 

Cryptor nods and makes his way over to Zane, red eyes glowing menacingly. “What are you?” He demands.

Zane arches an eyebrow. Now  **_this_ ** he is more familiar with. “What are  **_you_ ** ?” He replies.

The electricity goes off again, this time feeling like fire. They had somehow mastered the way to trick his sensors into simulating different kinds of pain- a rather frustrating accomplishment.

When it dies out, Zane has his jaw clenched, and he glares up at Cryptor. 

“Do  **_not_ ** backtalk.” He orders. “You are a nindroid. You are lesser.”

“You are also a nindroid.” Zane frowns. Shouldn’t Cryptor be on his side?

“I am aware of my status below humankind. You, however, are not aware of yours. Being nindroids means that we are lesser to them. You think differently, and a Master has ordered me to teach you the truth.”

Zane stares for a few moments, trying to connect the one in front of him to the proud general he once knew.

“What have they  **_done_ ** to you?” He breathes out, horror overtaking him.

This isn’t right. This is not- he and Cryptor had always been enemies of the worst kind, but this is not a fate he would wish on  **_anyone_ ** .

Does he truly believe this? That he is lesser to humankind? That he is nothing more than a tool for them to use?

“I have been taught my place.” Cryptor says the words with too little emotion, but Zane can just make out a flash of fear on his face, an expression there only for an instant.

“You are a nindroid, like me. Humanity is above us. And one way or another, you will come to this realization.” His words are firm, no sign of doubt behind them. But in his eyes there’s pain, an expressed emotion that once again vanishes in an instant, the nindroid clearly forcing it down.

Zane shakes his head. “I won’t.” He returns confidently. “Rather, you will remember that you are their equal.”

An electric blast simulates the feeling of bruising strength that could easily crush metal, and another scream is torn from him, leaving him panting as he tries to keep his inner workings cool.

“You can hurt me all you wish,” he gets out, “but I will never give in- because  **_ninja never quit_ ** !”

Another electric shock makes him feel as though his sensors have been impaled with thousands of razor sharp blades, but Zane grinds his teeth and squeezes his eyes shut to prevent any further screaming.

He’s done playing their games.

He will escape from this prison they have made, and free Cryptor alongside him. And if he is unable to liberate himself, then his friends will be the ones to save him.

“As I said before… you will learn your place.” Cryptor’s voice has the slightest twinge of regret, so minimal that only another nindroid would be adept enough to hear.

“I already know my place. It is beside my fellow ninja.” Zane counters, once again bracing himself for the pain.

This time it is like ice, an element that in reality would not harm him, but the electricity still tricks his sensors into thinking that he’s far too cold to withstand.

A small whimper escapes him, but he does his best to muffle the noise. Even so, Cryptor’s next words chill him down to his core, even without the assault from the sensors.

“It’s not. If it was, they would be trying to rescue you. Yet you’re still here- and that is because they have recognized your true place.  **_Beneath them_ ** .”

Zane grinds his teeth as he shakes his head. It has only been a week, only a week. They’re coming for him, no matter what they try to convince him of. It may take some time, but they  **_will_ ** free him.

He takes a deep breath and repeats his previous words, just as determined as these officials to make his point, to prove what he believes in.

“A ninja never quits.”

{ { { { { { { { { { ~ } } } } } } } } } }

Cole stares blankly at the wall, trying to piece together something,  **_anything_ ** they could do to help Zane.

It would be suicide to try and go up against the government straight on, so they need to come up with something else. Some other way to force them to release Zane.

But what? What could make them do that? 

So far, all they’ve drawn are blanks.

With a sigh, Cole puts his head in his hands. There has to be some way to rescue him, something that they just haven’t thought of yet. They just need to figure out  **_what_ ** . 

It seems ridiculous that they could straight up kidnap Zane and still be in the right. Legally, Zane  **_does_ ** belong to them, so unless they can somehow change that-

Wait… 

What if they  **_can_ ** change that?

If they can’t go after Zane directly, maybe there’s a more roundabout way to do it. A way to prove that Zane shouldn’t be considered an object, and therefore can’t be legally owned.

But how could they do it? Would it be possible to make Zane a legal citizen?

Well… there’s only one way to find out.

Cole gets up from the couch and heads off to find the others. It doesn’t take long before they’re all gathered on the bridge, and he shares what he had come up with.

“Would that work? Could we actually do that?” Jay looks hopeful, practically vibrating with his excitement. 

Lloyd shrugs, looking over at Nya. “I don’t know much about legal things,” he admits, “except for how to get away with stuff that isn’t- Darkley’s education wasn’t exactly good for academics.”

Nya frowns, tapping something out on her BorgWatch. “I’m not sure if it would… but it’s worth a shot.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” Kai demands. “We need to get him back!”

Lloyd shakes his head. “It won’t be that simple,” he warns, “they’re going to do everything they can to keep him.”

“There’s nothing they can dish out that we can’t take.” Cole forces confidence into his words that he doesn’t feel- as of right now, they need to just stay optimistic. “One way or another, we’ll get him back.”

Jay wears a determined expression as he nods his agreement. “I’ll start looking for what the legal process could be.”

“I’ll help.” Nya adds. “It’ll go faster with two of us.”

Lloyd smiles. “I’ll do some digging on the government itself- maybe we can get some dirt on an official or two and make them help us.”

“And I can start pressuring them for information- they’ll have to give up some stuff eventually.” Kai decides.

“You’re really good at annoying people into giving you what you want.” Lloyd agrees with a quiet snicker.

Jay shrugs. “At least he’s putting that skill to good use.” He jokes back. 

Kai glowers at the two of them. “Now is not the time for jokes! We have to focus on rescuing Zane!”

“Take a deep breath.” Cole puts his hands up placatingly. “They’re just trying to make the best of a bad situation. But you  **_are_ ** right- we need to get him back as quickly as possible.”

Nya nods her agreement. “Let’s get moving.” 

So everyone heads of to do their thing, and Cole realizes that he didn’t come up with an idea of how to help.

**_Is there_ ** anything he can do to help? All the others at least have some special skill, something they can do to assist. But what does Cole have? Dance? That’s hardly going to help here.

With a sigh, he heads back over to the couch, staring at the wall as he tries to come up with an idea.

There’s gotta be  **_something_ ** he can do… right?

He needs to help, he can’t just let his boyfriend be held hostage like this, and everyone else has something they’re doing… why can’t he help? He’s supposed to be strong, but… strength isn’t really helping here.

Because the reason Zane went out was because he was trying to take care of one of Cole’s chores because he would always do it wrong- intentionally, even! And if Cole had been the one to go shopping, if he had actually taken care of his own chores, Zane would still be here.

So in the end… this is  **_his_ ** fault.

Taking a deep breath, Cole shakes his head, trying to dislodge the thoughts. No, he can’t think like this, he needs to focus on the task at hand. 

But that’s the crux of the problem- he doesn’t have a task.

He got Zane into this… and there’s nothing he can do to get him out.

Shaking, Cole puts his head in his hands, silently cursing himself. 

Be strong. That’s the one thing he’s supposed to do.

Tears are forming in his eyes, and Cole shakes his head. How is he supposed to be strong for the team… when he can’t even be strong for  **_himself_ ** ?


	5. Kai, What Are You Doing?!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> >:D

Kai angrily throws the door open to the government building. Storming up to the counter, he’s sure that his smile is just as enraged as the rest of him.

“Hi, I have an appointment.” He grits out through clenched teeth.

He’s forced to wait in a waiting room for a while, and he forces himself to take deep breaths. If he burns the building down he’s never going to get answers.

Thankfully, it’s only a few minutes until he’s taken back to an office.

There’s no one on the other side of the desk, so Kai just throws himself into the chair opposite to it.

A few more minutes pass, and when the official returns, Kai is immediately on his feet.

“ **_Where is my boyfriend_ ** ?” He snarls the words out with as much malice he can muster- which is a lot, actually, because he’s pissed as hell.

The woman frowns. “Pardon?” While most of her expresses confusion, Kai’s had enough experience to see through even an experienced liar.

“Zane Julien. My boyfriend.  **_Where is he_ ** ?” He growls out, hands clenching into fists to prevent smoke from steaming off of him. 

“I don’t know a Zane.” The woman seems rather unaffected, if not for the way she glances to the side- only for a second, but it’s enough to let Kai see right through her bullshit.

“Yeah.  **_Yeah_ ** , you do. Where is he?” He steps forward, closer to her.

“If you don’t calm down, I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask security to escort you out.” The official gives a strained smile.

Kai sucks in a deep breath, trying to hang on to his last shred of control. “Alright, listen up you bitch-“

“ **_Excuse me_ ** ?”

“Sorry, was I not being clear enough? Here, lemme just-“ Kai lunges forward, pinning her against the wall. “Listen up you  **_bitch-ass motherfucker_ ** . I’m not playing this fucked up game of yours. I want my boyfriend back.” He leans in a little more. “And you’re going to give him to me, or else I swear to the First Spinjitzu Master that  **_no one will ever find your body_ ** .” He stares directly into her eyes as he speaks, throwing every single bit of rage he has into his voice.

He doesn’t get a response, however, as there are suddenly hands on him, dragging him away.

“ **_Hey_ ** !” Kai struggles against them, but he can’t make any leeway- and if he uses his powers, he’s going to get in trouble.

Actually, he’s already kind of in trouble, so maybe-

Too late. He’s in handcuffs. And they’re probably made of vengestone.

Still, he keeps struggling, thrashing and kicking and screaming profanities.

He’s forcibly manhandled into the back of a police car, and in less than twenty minutes, he’s in a jail cell.

“I want my phone call.” Kai gets out from behind bars, nursing his bruised jaw. Maybe calling that one guard a  _ ‘fuck-faced assmonkey’ _ wasn’t his best idea.

Reluctantly, a cop lets him go to the phone. Taking a deep breath, Kai braces himself for the lecture that he’s sure to receive.

The phone rings for a minute, and he mutters a quiet curse, hoping that Lloyd will actually pick up.

“Hey, Lloyd here! What’s going on?”

Grimacing, he pauses a moment before he answers. “It’s Kai-“

“Just kidding, this is a voicemail.” Lloyd’s cheeky voice taunts.

Kai feels his eyes widen as he processes that. Is Lloyd’s voicemail seriously a prank?! “It’s  **_what-_ ** “

“Okay, kidding again.” Lloyd laughs a little, and Kai breathes a sigh of relief. “Why are you calling me from the police sta-  **_Kai_ ** .”

Kai pauses a few moments, cringing. Lloyd’s figured it out. “... yeah?”

“Did you get  **_arrested_ ** ?”

Once again, he hesitates. “... maybe.” He admits, feeling himself flush red with embarrassment. He’s going to be in a lot of trouble when he gets back… 

Lloyd sighs. “I’ll grab the others, we’ll be right there.”

“Is there any chance you can talk Nya out of murdering me?” Kai chuckles nervously, glancing out the precinct. 

With a groan, Lloyd agrees. “I’ll try. But no promises.”

And that’s the best he’s going to get. 

So they exchange goodbyes, and Kai is taken back to his cell, where he impatiently waits for his friends to show up.

“If patience is a virtue, then I am not virtuous.” He mutters to himself, bouncing his leg.

After what feels like an eternity, the others arrive- and judging by the withering look Nya gives him, he’s in a  **_lot_ ** of trouble.

If Zane were here, he’d probably insist that Kai sleeps on the couch.

But he’s not here. And that’s the whole issue. Honestly, Kai doesn’t have any regrets- he’s willing to do  **_anything_ ** to get Zane back, no matter what it takes.

Still, he winces at the look Nya gives him. “Alright, I get that you’re probably really mad at me right now-“

Nya ignores him, looking at a cop. “Legally, how long do we have to bail him out?” Her voice is sharp as she flashes Kai another glare.

Sucking in a deep breath, Kai feels slight panic overtake him. “You- you guys aren’t going to  **_leave me here_ ** -“

The cop blinks a few times, seeming confused. “Uh, you legally have forty-two hours, but if you’re already here, wouldn’t you bail him out now?”

Nya shakes her head, crossing her arms. “We’ll be back in twenty-four.” She promises. 

Jay taps at his watch, likely setting an alarm to go off then. He gives Kai a helpless look and shrugs, glancing between him and his sister.

Okay, he knows that Nya can be scary, but they can’t just leave him here! 

Cole winces, and Lloyd looks away, shuffling his feet.

“Oh  **_come on_ ** !” Kai stands up, throwing his hands in the air. “I’m an impulsive brat, that’s not new. But you guys can’t just leave me in  **_jail_ ** -“

“See you later, Kai.” 

Nya walks out, and Jay mouths an apology before he and the others follow, leaving him alone.

Kai crosses his arms with a pout. “This is bullshit.” He grumbles to himself, sitting back down on the seat.

Looks like there’s nothing to do but wait.

{ { { { { { { { { { ~ } } } } } } } } } }

Zane watches Cryptor, disbelieving, as his fellow nindroid willingly goes into his own locker beside Zane’s.

Even though the end result is the same, Zane, at the very least,  **_tries_ ** to resist them.

After the door is once again slammed shut in his face, a quiet sigh escapes him as he shakes his head. 

A few minutes pass in darkness, and he debates activating his sleep mode. Perhaps it would be beneficial for him to-

A tapping noise sounds on the side of the locker, and it takes only a moment for Zane to decipher it as Morse Code.

_.- .-. . / -.-- --- ..- / --- -.- .- -.-- ..--.. _

The sound is emitting from the locker to his side- the locker where Cryptor is.

The taps translate to  _ ‘ARE YOU OKAY?’ _ , a question that seems rather odd considering how he had been acting previous.

With a small frown, Zane taps back, ‘ _ -.-- . …’ _ , or what translates to  _ ‘YES’ _ . After a moment of consideration, he adds on,  _ ‘ARE YOU?’ _ .

There is quite the long pause before Cryptor answers, and Zane’s breath hitches at the reply he’s given.

_ I AM INTACT _

That was not his question, but it most certainly is an answer. Cryptor is  **_not_ ** okay, which is to be expected- or rather, not expected. From the way he was acting, it had appeared that he had fallen under their beliefs. Yet this communication seems to prove otherwise.

_ HOW LONG? _

While Zane does not specify that he’s asking the length of time that Cryptor has been held captive, he trusts that the other will understand his meaning.

There’s once again a hesitant pause before he receives a reply.

_ A YEAR AND A HALF _

Sucking in a deep breath, Zane takes a moment to fully process his message. Cryptor has been trapped here for eighteen months? That would most certainly explain his behaviors, he is most likely torn between who he was and who they want him to be.

Given the circumstances, it seems miraculous that he lasted this long… perhaps he should voice that question.

_ HOW DID YOU LAST? _

The pause is much shorter this time.

_ I FAKED IT _

While the message isn’t very descriptive, Zane can infer what he is attempting to get across by his previous actions. He had been pretending to believe their lies in order to gain more freedom- a risky move considering the method of mental manipulation. Even pretending, if done incorrectly, could lead to true belief in their lies.

_ WE NEED A PLAN _

The two of them working together have a much higher chance of escape, especially if they truly do believe that Cryptor is under their control. 

_ NO _

Zane frowns, confused by the reply. Why would Cryptor not want to escape? 

_ WHY NOT? _

Cryptor’s response comes quickly, enough to show that he is confident in his belief on the matter.

_ IT HURTS _

Another wave of confusion strikes him, and he pauses a moment, trying to decipher his point. When he does, the realization makes something inside of him ache heavily.

_ THEY CAUGHT YOU? _

There’s a longer pause, long enough that Zane starts to think that Cryptor had chosen not to reply.

_ FOUR TIMES _

Zane winces. If Cryptor has been trapped here for a year and a half and has only made four escape attempts, the punishments they enact for a failed attempt must be agonizing.

_ WITH TWO OF US WE _

_ NO _

A frown forms on his face as he tries to understand why Cryptor would be adamant about it enough to interrupt him.

He doesn’t get the chance to ask, however, as the door to his locker is abruptly slammed open, and he’s dragged out into the open.

Once again, Zane struggles in their grasp, but just like always, his attempts still do not change the end result, and he is taken back to the training room.

Again? He has already been here once today, why would they bring him back so soon?

After he is once again chained down, the woman from before enters, seeming quite annoyed. There’s an aura of anger around her that expresses that something is upsetting her.

Zane opens his mouth to ask about it- learning more about his captors could prove to be useful- but she speaks first, voice showcasing her annoyance even more.

“Kai visited me today.” She comments, staring Zane dead in the eyes as she speaks.

A spark of hope lights inside of him. “They will rescue me.” He proclaims, a relieved smile forming on his face.

“Uh, no. Nice try though.” A new voice enters the conversation, and Zane feels his power source heating up to produce more processing power for how fast his mind is racing. 

“ **_Kai_ ** ?” He breathes out, eyes wide.

Because it’s none other than his boyfriend standing there, standing there with that same cocky smirk that would always adorn his face when they completed a mission.

“Heya, Snowflake.” He greets, giving a small wave. Then he turns to the woman, putting his hands in the pockets of his ripped jeans. Zane had given him that particular pair as a present one birthday, he remembers them, what-

“Yeah, this is really it.” Kai confirms with a nod. “Kinda surprised it took you so long to contact me though.”

“We were more busy with training it to behave.” The official admits. 

Kai nods. “A fair point. Frosty here has always been kinda stubborn. But I’m sure you can teach it eventually.”

Zane manages to get out a sentence, simply staring at his teammate, at his friend, at his love.

“You- Kai, what-  **_Kai_ ** ?” He runs every scan he can think of, examines every possible detail, but nothing reveals a flaw. This really is… it really is Kai? 

That- that can’t be true! Kai would never- he wouldn’t- they’re  **_dating_ ** , he wouldn’t… 

His words are ignored. “Anyway, I should get back to the others. Call me if it gets too difficult, okay? I’m sure I can make it listen.” 

That same cocky smirk that he used to find endearing mocks him as Kai leaves, walks away, leaves him alone in the hands of the ones who want to hurt him.

“Kai…” He breathes out, a helpless feeling taking over him. “Kai, don’t-  **_wait_ ** !” He cries out the word desperately, and much to his surprise, Kai listens, pausing and turning around.

“You’re not seriously going to try and lecture me right now. When you’re like  **_this_ ** ?  **_Really_ ** ?” He scoffs, making his way back over.

Zane tries to shrink back a little, but the chains hold him firmly in place, leaving him helpless as Kai comes closer, his hand lighting ablaze.

When he’s right next to him, he pauses, crouching down. The fire from his hand is close enough to heat up his metallic plating, but Zane doesn’t look at it, he can’t look at anything but into the eyes of his love.

“For once in your miserable life…” Kai leans in, pressing his flaming hand against him, making it  **_burn_ ** , making it ache and almost start to  **_melt_ ** .

“... why don’t you take a damn hint?”

The world around him goes fuzzy, and Zane can barely choke out his name before everything fades to blackness.

“ **_Kai_ ** …” 


	6. Reality Or Fiction?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay that last cliffhanger was mean lol
> 
> But I regret nothing

When Nya finally lets them go back for Kai, the red ninja is staring straight ahead, a hollow look on his face.

“Kai?” Jay questions, creeping closer. He’s aware of the others behind him taking care of the bail, but he doesn’t listen, only focusing on his boyfriend. “Are you okay?”

“Zane…” Kai breathes out, eyes glazed over. He seems so wrapped up in his thoughts that it looks like he hasn’t even noticed Jay.

“Hey Fire-Hazard, you okay?” If he gets any closer the cops will probably stop him, so he just waits for him to notice him.

Kai’s vision finally focuses. “It wasn’t me. I can’t tell him- he thinks it was  **_me_ ** .” His words are strangled; he actually looks like he’s on the verge of tears.

Then that familiar rage seems to get to him, and his hands clench into fists. “I’m going to save him. I’m going to save him if it’s  **_the last thing I do._ ** ”

“Thanks. We’ll take him now.” Lloyd speaks up from behind him.

Kai is still shaking with anger as they take him back to the ship, refusing to say another word until they get there.

Once they reach the bridge, he sucks in a deep breath before starting.

“They’re torturing him.” 

There’s a brief pause as the rest of them process that. 

“They’re **_what_ ** .” Nya’s voice is dangerously quiet in a way that Jay’s only heard a few times- and none of them ever ended well for whoever was on the receiving end.

“They’re torturing him. I- I don’t know what they did, but he kept saying my name, he- he thought it was  **_me_ ** .” Kai sounds like he’s on the verge of a breakdown, smoke beginning to steam off of him.

“Wh- how is that even possible?!” Lloyd stares. “With all of his sensors? He could see through it in a heartbeat!”

“I don’t know how they did it, I just know that they did.” Kai seems like a mixture of furious and sad, like he doesn’t know whether to cry or set the nearest government building on fire.

Cole speaks up next. “How do you know? Did they show you? Do you know where they’re keeping him?” To anyone who didn’t know him, he would’ve sounded calm, but Jay can easily read the heavy emotions in his voice.

Kai shakes his head with a pained sigh. “It was a video. I couldn’t tell where it was taken.”

The horror of the situation begins to fully dawn on him then. “They’re torturing Zane  **_because_ ** you tried to rescue him.” Jay breathes out, voice shaking. “The more we try to help him, the more he’ll think we’re hurting him.”

Another heavy silence takes over the room.

But then Cole speaks, his voice low and threatening. “We need to get him out of there.”

“But how? The more we try to save him, the more he’s going to get hurt!” Jay gets out, panic overtaking him.

“We’ll have to play by their rules.” Lloyd decides. “No more sneaking around or illegal things. We play this game their way… as difficult as it is.”

Kai grinds his teeth, and Nya grips the table tightly. Cole’s pained expression most likely lines up with the scared one that Jay has.

“I know it’s not ideal,” Lloyd sighs, “but we can’t risk him getting hurt any more than he already has. One way or another, we’re going to save him.”

Kai gives a determined nod, and there’s mumbles of agreement.

Still, Jay can’t help his nervousness at the whole situation. It’s possible that they’re just torturing him anyway and only sent the video as a deterrent. 

Breathing out a puff of breath, Jay squeezes his eyes shut, trying to blot out his stressful thoughts.

They’ll get him back. They’ll bring him home…

No matter what it takes.

{ { { { { { { { { { ~ } } } } } } } } } }

After what feels like an eternity, Zane wakes up.

He’s not very quiet about it, but that might only be because Cryptor’s sensors have been jammed as high as they’ll go. 

_ YOU OKAY? _

He taps out the message slowly, giving the white ninja some time to process each letter. 

_ CONFUSED _

Cryptor shakes his head, a quiet sigh escaping him. It’s likely that they screwed with his sensors somehow- a hallucination-like thing based off of memories.

It  he can remember when they did that to him, too. He can remember exactly what he had seen. Because they played it over and over, burning it permanently into his mind.

Though it’s not like he would’ve been able to forget even without the hallucinations… something like that isn’t easily forgotten.

Shaking his head, Cryptor draws himself back to reality. He can’t afford to get stuck in those thoughts again. 

_ IT WAS FAKE _

There’s a long pause from the other side before Zane is rapidly tapping back a response.

_ WHAT? _

Cryptor breathes out slowly, trying to keep himself calm even with the memories bombarding  it  him. 

_ IT WAS FAKE _

Even with the repeated words, there’s an even longer pause, and Cryptor grimaces some- maybe he’s been through a lot, but Zane has literally self destructed. Whatever he saw-

_ IT WAS AN ILLUSION? _

Despite Zane not being able to see him, Cryptor nods as he taps back his response.

_ ELECTRICITY CAN TRICK YOUR SENSORS _

There’s another weighty pause, and he impatiently waits for Zane to reply. Who knows when they’ll be taken back again- they don’t have time for this kind of hesitation. 

_ THANK YOU _

Confusion takes over him, and he frowns as he tries to understand the meaning behind the message.

_ WHAT? _

Zane’s response comes immediately, and the words send an odd feeling through him.

_ YOU HELPED ME _

Well… he did, actually. He could’ve left Zane to stew in his misery, he could’ve never started talking to him in the first place.

He tries to tell himself that it’s just so he can betray him later, so that  it he can tell the officials about any escape plans he comes up with.

But he knows that that’s not true. There’s something else, something holding him back. 

Unfortunately, he knows exactly what that something is.

_ /‘Cryptor had rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms. “Stop treating me like I’m made of glass.” He had snapped. _

_ “I’m only trying to help you.” The other shook his head, his expression being a wordless plea for Cryptor to allow him to assist. _

_ Help. The word had made Cryptor feel somewhat uncomfortable. Why would someone help him? He hadn’t done anything to deserve that. _

_ “Yeah.” He had finally got out. “Okay.” _

_ The other’s jovialness had been contagious, and Cryptor hadn’t been able to resist his good mood. _

_ He had come to the conclusion that maybe working with others wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be.’/ _

Shaking his head, Cryptor pulls himself back into the present. After a few moments of hesitation, he taps out a response.

_ DONT GET USED TO IT _

He idly shifts in his uncomfortable position- these lockers are far too small, being barely large enough to fit him- or Zane. Any smaller and they couldn’t even squeeze in.

_ MY TEAM WILL RESCUE US _

Cryptor scoffs, rolling his eyes. Yeah, right.  **_Zane_ ** they’ll rescue. Cryptor? Not a chance.

_ THEY WONT EVEN BE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHERE WE ARE _

Maybe it’s mean to insult them like that, to dash Zane’s hopes- but he’s too tired to play nice.

_ I TRUST THEM _

With a sigh, Cryptor closes his eyes. At least Zane actually has people looking for him. If anyone cared about Cryptor, they’d have found him by now.

He had thought he had made a friend for a while. But it seems that he managed to push away even him.

_ WE SHOULD STILL PLAN OUR OWN ESCAPE _

Cryptor sucks in a deep breath at Zane’s message. Grinding his teeth, he taps out a reply.

_ NO WE SHOULDNT _

Even without being able to see Zane, he knows that the other is very confused by his insistence against the matter. 

And if the officials hadn’t done what they did, Cryptor would be all for making a plan.

But after  **_that_ ** … he can’t even bring himself to consider it.

He can still hear what was spoken, can still see the torn metal and ripped out gears. Every waking moment, the memory sits in the back of his mind.

_ WHY NOT? _

Cryptor grinds his teeth. He can’t make himself talk about it. Not when  it he can barely even  **_think_ ** about it.

_ DONT ASK _

And that’s the end of it. Closing his eyes, Cryptor attempts to go into his sleep mode.

_ I CAN HANDLE PAIN _

Eyes flying back open, Cryptor taps out a furious response.

_ NOT THIS KIND _

After a few moments pause, Zane replies yet again.

_ YOU UNDERESTIM _

Cryptor decides to cut him off here, to stop him before it’s too late.

_ GO TO SLEEP _

Closing his eyes, Cryptor ignores the next messages and activates his sleep mode.

With the memories Zane had dredged up, it’ll be a miracle if he doesn’t have any nightmares.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact!
> 
> Electricity can manipulate any electronic if used right. Zane is technically an electronic. Each sensor, if manipulated right, can produce any sight or sensation.
> 
> Example: If Zane were to look outside and it’s snowing, he would assume that it’s cold. Thats sight, and for Zane, is a form of sensor. If he went outside and he felt cold, that would confirm that it’s snowing. The two feed into each other. 
> 
> If what you see, hear, smell, taste, and feel can all be manipulated by electricty... how would you be able to tell fiction from reality?
> 
> Zane can experience anything they want without leaving his locker or his training room.
> 
> Isn’t that nice!


	7. Escape?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zane has a plan!

It has been one month since Zane’s capture.

Every minute has felt like and hour, every hour like a day, every day like an eternity. Yet he forces himself to persist, to hold on to himself.

The others are coming for him. He had lasted almost double this time on Chen’s Island, and while the circumstances there were certainly less intense, he is sure that he will be able to last here as long as necessary. 

And he will make his own attempt at an escape. Even if Cryptor seems to have given up, he will not. As a ninja, he will never give in. 

It’s that night when he makes his plan.

Due to a mishap several days before on the part of the guards, Zane had managed to acquire a small blow torch that he will be able to use to heat the metal of the locker enough that he can bend it open.

It takes several hours to accomplish this feat, and when he manages to do it, he is ever so cautious to prevent noise from being made.

Carefully, he puts the hatch back on. After a few moments of hesitation, he taps on Cryptor’s locker.

_ ESCAPE? _

Cryptor doesn’t respond, so with a low sigh, Zane decides to make it on his own. Once he has escaped, he will be able to do more to help the other win his own freedom.

Ever so quietly, he creeps down the halls. Guards pass through every now and again, and he pauses long enough to study the short routine that would allow him to pass by.

A small smile finds him as he locates the exit, a door that is partially hidden. From here, he will be able to sneak past the final set of guards and make it to the outside, where he will not quite be free, but have a very much improved chance of escaping this place.

He’s drawn from his thoughts when an alarm goes off, and he whips around to look at where it came from.

Much to his dismay, he comes face to face with the one he thought would help him the most.

Cryptor gives him a pained smile. “I’m sorry,” he whispers, “but I can’t let it happen again.”

It’s in mere moments that they’re surrounded, but Cryptor doesn’t move from his spot, hand still grasping around the alarm that he had pulled.

As the number of weapons pointed at him grows, Zane reluctantly raises his hands in a symbol of surrender.

This is not going to end well.

Even as he’s taken away, he still attempts to fight back, but he finds that he’s far too tired to make an effective form of resistance.

Every opportunity he gets, he gives Cryptor a disapproving look. He had been so close to escape! Why would the other betray him? 

He watches helplessly as Cryptor gives him a pained look before going back inside of his locker.

Zane, however, is not granted such mercy.

Despite his best efforts, he is taken back to the training- no. No, this isn’t the training room. They’re taking him past it, to a new room.

Well, this is certainly strange. He had assumed that he would be punished again, perhaps with more sensory hallucinations of his teammates. 

Yet he’s only taken into a new room and strapped down onto a table- this particular area doesn’t even have mechanical tools. An even more surprising fact is when the guards simply…  **_leave_ ** .

Zane blinks, confused. They plan to leave him in a new room? That hardly feels like a punishment. There is likely something here that he missed. But what-

A small electric shock hits him, and much to his dismay, he finds that all of his sensors have been dialed up to the max.

That is… a confusing development. Yet there must be a reason for this. Due to how afraid Cryptor had seemed of escaping, there must be some kind of-

Zane flinches when the room suddenly comes to life with bright colors and noises. Desperately, he attempts to turn down his sensitivity, but his sensors are still jammed.

It’s so loud that he can barely hear his own thoughts, so bright with flashing colors that he feels as though he has been blinded, even when he closes his eyes.

He desperately strains against his bonds, but he’s firmly held in place, held hostage to the sounds and lights that overrun his processor. There are simply too many things to process, so many that it begins to cause physical pain.

No matter how much he struggles or cries out, he makes no leeway, and after a while, he simply squeezes his eyes shut tighter, resigning himself to his fate.

But it is much too loud, too bright, too…  **_everything_ ** _. _ There is so much input that he finds himself thrashing, desperately trying to get away from it all.

They will return for him eventually. Surely they will not leave him in such an environment for long.

* * *

When Zane is finally removed from the room, everything around him seems to echo. The guards dragging him barely even seem to be there, and it’s all he can do to stay on his feet.

Not much longer, even his legs fail him, and he allows himself to be brought-

To the training room?

No, he has already been punished, he knows that at least forty-eight hours had passed while he had been restrained, they do not plan to take him back to the-

Zane is roughly chained down to the floor, and he finds himself too weak to even try to resist.

Even as a nindroid, he does require to be able to activate his sleep mode for a while. Yet with all the time that had passed, he was unable to do so in such an environment.

A blast of electricity keeps him awake, and he groans, desperately wishing that he was back in his locker.

Zane winces as the woman walks into the room. If he had tear ducts, he would more certainly be crying. As it is, his misery must clearly be shown on his face.

“Why are you lesser, Original?” The official demands with a sharp voice.

He can barely even hear her words, his ears ringing too much to be able to process them fully. After a few moments, they click, and he shakes his head weakly.

“I am equal.” He wheezes out, desperately trying to hold onto himself.

Another blast of pain makes him scream and sob as every fiber of himself begs for him to surrender to their whims.

“You are lesser because you are a nindroid.” She snaps. “Now tell me why you are lesser.”

It continues like this for  **_hours_ ** , Zane shaking and trembling and wishing for the torment to end.

He can feel his eyelids drooping, but he’s kept conscious by the pain, the pain that will not go away. After all he’s been through, all he wants would be to go back to his locker, back where it’s dark and quiet.

Alas, fate is not on his side, and he is still rudely kept from his slumber.

“Why are you lesser?” The official demands for the upteenth time, her voice as sharp as a razor’s edge.

Zane is only able to weakly shake his head. He is not lesser, and he knows this, but… she had promised him a break if he listened. A chance to go back to his locker and recover. Perhaps… perhaps he could pretend to agree. He could say the words she's looking for, just this once.

Trembling, he tries to ignore the idea. That would be beginning a trek down a rabbit hole that he most certainly does not want to go down; caving once could spell out the beginning of his end.

Another blast of pain forces him to gasp for air as he’s forcibly kept awake. Breath after breath, he tries to hold himself together, but every moment it grows more and more difficult. Surely it would not be so bad to-

“Original, if you tell me why you are lesser, you will have earned your break. Otherwise, this could continue for  **_days_ ** , with me switching out with others to continue.”

Zane can feel himself trembling. He cannot give in, he must just hold on a little longer, he can get through this, one minute at a time. He will simply-

“Why are you lesser?” She prompts, voice as cold as his element.

The words tumble out of his mouth without his permission. 

“Because I am a nindroid.”

She frowns, a glare on her face. “The whole statement, Original.”

Zane does his best to hold on, but he finds himself lowering his head, looking to the ground as he quietly says the words they have been looking for all this time.

“I- I am lesser because I am a nindroid.” He breathes the words out softly- barely above a whisper- but he speaks them all the same.

“And who are you addressing?” The woman’s voice is still cold, but Zane can’t, he can’t give in, not to this extreme. He’s already given up so much ground, he can’t give in- not when he knows what she wants.

“I am your Master, Original. Speak your statement and address me as such.”

Weakly, it’s all Zane can do to shake his head. He must not give in. He cannot-

A loud cry of pain escapes him as the pain wracks his body once more, but he refuses to give in, refuses to let them win, no matter how much pain they put him through.

It fades for a moment before increasing tenfold, every part of his body feeling as though it’s ablaze, worse than even the hottest of fires.

“Stop!” He gasps the word out, choking on his own pride as he begins to plead, to  **_beg_ ** . “Stop, please! I can’t- make it stop!”

“Master,  **_please_ ** !”

The pain subsides, and it takes Zane a few moments to process what he had said.

“The whole statement, Original.” The official reminds.

Sobbing without tears, Zane can hardly keep himself together, desperation tightening its hold instead.

“ **_Please_ ** …” He breathes out, shaking in his bonds. His dignity is gone, but he must keep ahold of himself, he must stay above their demands!

Another wave of pain washes over him, but Zane is barely even in this moment, eyes heavy as he rides on the fumes of his adrenaline.

It increases, and Zane  **_screams_ ** , a loud shout of agony torn from him.

“ **_STOP_ ** !” He screams out the word, hoping with every fiber in his being that she’ll  **_listen_ ** .

The pain fades again, but he knows it will be returning. He- he can’t handle it returning. Not again.

Against his will, he finds himself whispering the words, the words that she had been demanding.

“I- I am lesser because I am a nindroid, Master…  **_please_ ** , no more.”

As soon as the words have left his tongue, another wave of panic overtakes him. He had given in! He had-

“Good.” The woman smiles as he internally curses himself for the way he had caved. 

He doesn’t have it in him to resist as he’s taken back to his box. When he’s roughly shoved inside, his eyes have already begun to close.

He falls asleep to quiet tapping on the side of his locker.


	8. He Doesn’t Need To Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay this is a little bit softer but don’t worry there’s more angst coming up-

It’s been over a month since Zane’s been captured. 

The others are doing everything they can, pulling strings and running through every legal loophole they can find.

But Cole? He just sits there. He just gets up and does what he does every day. 

There’s nothing he can do. He’s not smart enough to hack, not stubborn enough to figure out legal loopholes, and not strong enough to lead.

With a quiet sigh, Cole heads down to Borg Tower. Maybe he could get some ideas from another nindroid.

It takes him about a half hour to get there, and he glances around when he does, wondering if he should find Borg or-

Suddenly, one of the nindroids walks up to him. “You’re one of the ninja!” He breathes out, clearly relieved. “I’ve been looking for an opportunity to talk to you.”

Cole blinks. “Uh-“

The nindroid doesn’t wait for him to answer, he just grabs him and pulls him up a set of stairs and into another room.

Turning to him, the nindroid breathes out a sigh of relief, flipping off his hood. 

Blinking, Cole is surprised to find that he has dirty blond hair and a slightly different design than the others that he had seen. 

“My name is Sentry. I’m in charge of the White Nindroids.” The nindroid introduces himself. 

Nodding slowly, Cole finally gets the chance to speak. “Alright. Is something wrong? Why were you looking for us?”

“Zane’s not the only one they captured.” Sentry explains. “They have a…” He pauses a moment. “...  **_friend_ ** of mine. I want to rescue him, too.”

Cole quickly nods. “Of course.” He agrees. “No one should be held captive like that. Do you have any ideas of how to get them back?”

Sentry hesitates, glancing off to the side. “I have an idea, but it might take a while.” He admits. “And I’d also have to get Dad to agree.”

Confusion washes over him. “Dad?” He questions. 

“Cyrus.” Sentry corrects. “He built all of us, so technically he’s our dad.”

Cole nods his understanding. Zane had always referred to Doctor Julien as his father, so it makes sense that these nindroids would think of Borg the same way.

Ignoring the pang in his chest that comes with the thought of his captive boyfriend, he decides to ask another question. “Who’s this friend of yours?” 

Sentry pauses, a worried expression forming on his face. “I’d, uh… I’d rather not say.”

Cole feels his eyes narrowing in suspicion. Why would he want to keep that a secret? The only thing he can think of is that it would be some kind of past villain, but the government is after nindro-

“It’s Cryptor, isn’t it.” The words aren’t a question- Cole already knows that it’s a fact.

The wince he gets confirms his assumption- not that he had any doubt about it. 

For a few moments, neither of them speak, and a serious silence takes over the room.

After a few minutes of this, Cole finally answers the unasked question. “We’ll still save him.” He confirms. “No one deserves to be hurt like that.”

Sentry breathes out a small relieved sigh. “Thank you. I- I promise he won’t cause you any more trouble. I’ll keep an eye on him.”

Cole nods. “Good. Now, what was this plan of yours?”

{ { { { { { { { { { ~ } } } } } } } } } }

Cryptor wakes up to angry tapping on the side of the locker.

_ YOU GOT ME CAPTURED _

Groaning, he shakes his head, ignoring the part of him that insists that he should let Zane do what he wants. So what if he gets disassembled? That’s not his problem.

**_/“Don’t forget me.”/_ **

Cryptor mutters a soft curse under his breath. Of course. That’s why he can’t let Zane do what he wants.

Because he can’t let it happen again.

_ I SAVED YOUR LIFE _

The moment he taps out the last letter, he’s overtaken by regret.  **_Great_ ** . Now Zane is going to want to know-

_ WHAT? _

Apparently this time his hesitation is too long, because Zane repeats his message.

_ WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? _

With a sigh, Cryptor decides to tell him the truth. Not the whole story- he can’t handle talking about it- but he can tell him some.

_ I DONT WANT YOU DEAD _

There’s a brief pause before Zane replies, and Cryptor grimaces during it.

_ THEY WOULD KILL ME? _

Shaking his head, Cryptor takes a moment to try and figure out how to respond. 

_ YES _

And he leaves it at that. Zane doesn’t need to know all of the details. He doesn’t need to know that the farther you make it the worse the punishment.

He doesn’t need to know about what had happened to the other captive.

**_/“Make- make them stop!”/_ **

Cryptor breathes out slowly, trying to keep his emotions in check. Having a breakdown isn’t going to help anyone.

_ I COULDVE MADE IT _

He’s never snapped to attention so fast.  **_What_ ** ? Zane doesn’t seriously think that. He had to have known that his attempt was going to fail.

Cryptor had taken that same route on his fourth attempt. No matter how close you get, there’s always someone or something to stop you.

_ SHUT UP _

Zane starts to tap out another message, but Cryptor shakes his head as he taps out his own.

_ I MEAN IT _

Unfortunately, that still doesn’t stop the white ninja, who sends him another question.

_ HOW DID YOU HOLD ON SO LONG? _

Cryptor frowns, blinking. What does he mean by that? He didn’t-

No. No, Zane’s the white ninja. It’s only been a month, he couldn’t have-  **_no_ ** .

_ ONE MONTH? _

He hears Zane start to reply, but he ignores him in favor of slamming out his own.

_ YOURE GIVING UP AFTER ONE MONTH? _

Trembling, rage starts to build up inside of him. One damn month? That’s all it takes? Zane Julien, the famed white ninja, giving up after  **_one fucking month_ ** ?

There’s once again the beginning of a response, but Cryptor doesn’t pay any attention to it, still sending out his own message.

_ DONT TALK TO ME _

Closing his eyes, he tunes out the rest of what Zane tells him.

One month. That’s all it took before he started to break.

It takes everything he has to prevent himself from starting to cry. He doesn’t have tear ducts, but it would still make unwanted noise.

Zane is starting to break after one month.

It won’t be long until he’s gone entirely.

And then Cryptor will be alone again.

Taking in a shaky breath, he tries to ground himself. That- it doesn’t matter. **_It_** **_doesn’t_**. 

He never should’ve gotten his hopes up in the first place. 


	9. The Other Captive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ah yes, suffering
> 
> I hope you like it because that’s what you’re getting-

Zane has learned something new about himself.

When his power source is inspected and manipulated, it is a torture like no other. He can confirm that it causes more pain than anything he’s ever felt before.

In short, it is a very unpleasant experience. 

No matter how he attempts to resist, it never makes a difference. He’s begun to fear that he may eventually fall victim to learned helplessness and become more easily manipulated, so he has redoubled his efforts in an attempt to avoid such a fate.

Still, it is difficult to hold on to his beliefs when every attempt is abruptly stopped even as it had barely begun.

Another shout of pain escapes him as his power source is roughly manhandled as the current roboticist studies it closer.

Zane takes slow, deep breaths as he attempts to keep himself calm and grounded. At the very least, they have not yet realized how similar he functions to the human body- or more specifically, how all of his sensors, like nerves, meet at his spinal cord- or his recreation of one.

He once again attempts to do something to stop the mechanic working on him, but the man only sighs and glares at him. “Hold still, Original. I’m busy.”

“My name is Zane,” Zane corrects, “and I do not take orders from you- or anyone else, for the matter.”

Another biting glare is his response. “Do we need to use General to motivate you?”

Zane’s artificial skin begins to prickle. They refer to Cryptor by that name. They are not… are they threatening to hurt the other to get him to behave?

With a shake of his head, Zane renews his defiance. Surely they would not enact such a threat. 

“I will not do as you say,” he snaps, “and if you hope to use idle threats to intimidate me, such an effort will be a failure!”

The man arches an eyebrow. “Martha’s not gonna like that.” He mutters to himself, likely not expecting Zane to be able to hear.

Frowning, Zane attempts to see if he can determine the owner of the name. After compiling data of previous conversations he had overheard, he comes to the conclusion that Martha must be the official that is in charge of his torture- or as they refer to it, ‘training’.

He attempts to speak another time, but all that comes out is a choked out cry of pain as his power source is once again maltreated.

Deep breaths, in and out. He must keep himself grounded. He cannot afford to break any more than he already has.

With clenched teeth, he struggles against the bonds once again.

He must not give up hope. No matter what they say or do, he must remain strong.

He will  **_not_ ** break again.

{ { { { { { { { { { ~ } } } } } } } } } }

Cryptor feels confusion wash over him as he’s taken to the workshop. Typically they only take one of them there at a time- why would they have both him  **_and_ ** Zane there?

Unease takes over him as he walks. The last time they had two nindroids in the workshop… 

_/_ ** _“Stop, that’s not-_** **STOP** **IT** ** _!”_** _/_

It takes everything he has to not break his emotionless facade. This is fine. He knows that the reason they hurt the other was because Cryptor was more valuable and that Zane is more valuable than him, but it’s  **_fine_ ** . 

He just needs to do as he’s told and follow orders. That’s it. Whatever they have planned, it’s just for show, just to scare Zane.

Nothing is going to happen. Its just that the memories have been re-hashed recently. There’s no reason for him to be afraid.

It’s  **_fine_ ** .

When he’s led inside the workshop, he has to force his breathing to remain even. It doesn’t mean anything that Zane is held captive in the same spot that Cryptor was the last time, and it doesn’t mean anything that Cryptor’s on the same table that the previous captive had been. It’s just a coincidence, that’s all.

He’s lucky enough that they don’t notice how he shakes when he’s strapped onto the table or the way his breathing picks up.

He recognizes the official in charge of the training project- Martha, her name is- standing off to the side. But once Cryptor is fully restrained, she steps forward and speaks, addressing Zane.

“You seem to have once again forgotten your place, Original. Maybe this will teach you-“

Zane spits in her face.

There’s a few moments of absolute silence after the action, everyone in the room processing what he had done.

Zane still has an expression of defiance as he speaks up. “I will  **_never_ ** fall victim to your lies!” 

The silence is deafening, and a minute of it passes before Martha speaks up. 

“Actions have consequences.” She says in a sharp tone, looking back over to Cryptor.

Cryptor feels his power source kick into overdrive. 

Damn it, Zane! Why did he have it do that?! He may have just caused what would be- now they might-

Fear takes a cold grasp over him as he comes to the implications of what she might mean. They- no, they won’t… 

But won’t they?

/ **_“Make them stop! General- Gen-_ ** **Cryptor** **_! Make them stop!”_ ** /

He tries to remain still and calm as they open him up, but he finds himself breaking his facade in no time at all as they start digging around inside of him.

“Stop!” He chokes out, starting to strain against his bonds. “Don’t- I-“

_ / _ **_“Stop it!”_ ** _ The other nindroid had beeped, trying to resist the way he was being roughly and carelessly opened. _ **_“Let- let go of me!”_ **

_ None of the humans had listened, and Cryptor had started to realize that this was more than an inspection./ _

There are disapproving and confused looks thrown his way, but Cryptor doesn’t care, he can’t keep pretending to be what they want, not to the death. He won’t die while adhering to their whims! He refuses to let his last moments be spent under their commands!

“Don’t you  **_dare_ ** ! I don’t- you- let me go right now!  **_Right now_ ** !” He continues to struggle, but nothing works- he’s completely trapped.

He can feel his breathing picking up as he begins to reach a point of panic. He can’t- they won’t-

_ /Cryptor couldn’t do anything but watch as the other screamed in pain and thrashed in his bonds. _

_ “Let this be a lesson to you.” Martha had said in a threatening tone. “It’s only because you have value that your fate is not the same.” _

_ It was then that he had realized what they were doing to the other. _

_ They were going to disassemble him./ _

“Let me go!” Cryptor shouts, biting back another cry of pain.

“So it was fake,” Martha muses, “I had suspected that.”

He can barely even hear her words, too focused on trying to escape, to escape the fate that the other had suffered to.

To escape what had been done to Mindroid.

“Don’t do this!  **_Please_ ** !” Cryptor hates the way he’s begging, he hates the way his dignity is crumbling around him, but only one thought occupies his mind.

**_He doesn’t want to die._ **

_ /No matter what the other had done, they only ignored him. _

**_“PLEASE!”_ ** _ Mindroid had beeped. _ **_“I- General, make them stop! Make them stop!”_ ** __

_ “Leave him alone!” Cryptor had finally managed to get the words out. “Stop it!” Turning to Martha, he had continued. “Release him!  _ **Now** _!” _

_ She had only shaken her head, an annoyed expression on her face. _

_ “This is a lesson.” She had reminded. “Whether or not you learn from it is up to you.”/ _

“Leave him alone!” Zane unknowingly repeats the same words that Cryptor had spoken. “Stop it!”

Cryptor can feel himself on the verge of a forced shut down- the equivalent of a human passing out- from his panic, but the pain keeps him from it, it forces him to be there for every moment of this.

“It was my fault!” Zane shouts, his own panic in his voice. “Don’t hurt him!”

_ /“Don’t hurt him!” Cryptor had yelled. More panic overtook him as he watched Mindroid slowly come closer to what would end up being his demise. “It was my fault!” _

_ Martha had given him an unimpressed expression, and Cryptor realized exactly what he was willing to do to save Mindroid. _

_ “ _ **_Take me instead!_ ** _ ”/ _

“I should be the one being punished, please, release him! Let him go! He has done nothing, it was my defiance! Please!” Zane strains in his bonds, and Cryptor feels himself shaking at how similar the circumstances are.

“Please stop!” He sobs out, finally abandoning the last shred of his pride. “Stop it! I-  **_Master, please_ ** !”

The torment pauses for a moment as the roboticist looks over at Martha, waiting for some kind of confirmation of what to do.

Zane stares with a look of dismay, clearly unsure of what to do, if he should give in the same way Cryptor had. When they make eye contact, Cryptor shakes his head ever so slightly.

His death doesn’t have to be Zane’s breaking point. He has a chance of still being rescued, but as for Cryptor… 

Hopefully they’ll stop dragging this out.

Cryptor winces and flinches away as some of the tools come up to his face, but abruptly stops struggling a few moments later.

Did they… 

Did they cut off his motor functions?

It seems that they did, because no matter how hard he tries, he can’t move, he can’t twitch, he can’t even  **_blink_ ** .

He’s helpless, unable to even scream as his facial blaster is disconnected, leaving the eye beneath exposed- a very uncomfortable feeling.

“Let him go! What- whatever you plan to do to him, do it to me instead!” Zane begs, a note of desperation on his voice. “It was my actions, he did nothing wrong!”

He’s ignored, and Cryptor feels so much pain, pain that feels as though it should kill him as parts of his face plate begin to be disconnected.

Martha walks over to him. “You’re not human,” she reminds, “and this will remind you of that.”

Cryptor tries to struggle and move away, but he’s not even able to beg for mercy as more and more of his outer covering is stripped away.

_ /“Mindroid…” Cryptor had breathed out the name of his ally one last time as the lights in the other’s eyes had flickered out, his power source disconnected. _

_ “You killed him!” He had yelled, fury mixing with his pain. “You- you  _ **_murdered_ ** _ him!” _

_ Martha only shook her head. “You can’t kill what was never alive.”/  _

“Stop it! Don’t hurt him!” Zane is still struggling, still trying to free himself. “Leave him alone!”

Cryptor finds himself wishing he could scream, to somehow express the pain he’s going through, because it hurts, it hurts so much!

The tools are taken away and his motor functions are restored, but he still can’t move, is still stuck in his bonds.

At least it doesn’t hurt anymore.

Glancing over, he manages to catch a glimpse of his reflection in a sheet of metal not too far away, and what he sees makes him cringe.

Faceplate stripped away, he looks more monstrous than human, more machine than man- he looks like the kind of thing you would see in a horror movie.

When him and Zane are dragged back to the lockers, neither of them resist. Shoved inside and the doors closed, neither of them try to tap on the sides.

Cryptor can’t even see his reflection with the lack of light, but he knows that it’s there.

She said she wanted to remind him that he’s not human. 

As tearless sobs wrack his body, Cryptor finds himself wishing he was.


	10. Home

Zane winces. It was only a few days after they removed Cryptor’s face plate that they did the same to him, and it is a very uncomfortable feeling.

As he’s being dragged off to the training room again, he stays quiet, as the guards are having a conversation that may provide valuable intel.

“I know a lot of the guys here hate General and Original, but I can’t really figure out why.” One of them muses. 

The other one shakes his head. “Do you remember the Golden Master thing a few years back? General caused a lot of the damage and it almost killed her family.”

Zane frowns- or he would’ve, if he still had a face plate. He remembers that event, but given that Cryptor had been under the Overlord’s control, it seems illogical to blame him for it.

“That’s fair.” The first one agrees. “But didn’t Original help stop it? Why would she hate it?”

“When it exploded, the ice caused a lot of damage. I said her family almost died, right? It was because of the ice that they didn’t get to the hospital in time.”

Zane feels himself tense up at the words. The ice of the explosion… he hadn’t imagined that it could’ve hurt anyone, but looking back it seems quite obvious.

“Hey, keep moving!” One of the guards snaps at him.

He’s quick to comply, but his mind is still racing. It’s no wonder she has no qualms about harming him- she blames him for their deaths.

And after a few moments of thought, Zane realizes that the blame is well placed. It  **_was_ ** his fault. The ice… he hadn’t realized that it caused harm.

Even though he resists being chained down, he ends up stuck on the floor anyway.

But the guards leave, and a few moments later, he discovers that the chains weren’t all the way locked- there turns out to be just enough leeway for him to wrench his way free.

A spark of hope lights inside of him, and Zane knows that he would be smiling if his facial plate was still attached.

This could be the way he frees himself! 

Creeping down the corridors, Zane makes sure that every step is made with as much caution as he has. He cannot risk being captured again!

He winces as he passes the lockers, giving Cryptor a silent apology- he can’t allow the other to give him away.

Keeping his breathing as quiet as possible, he manages to sneak by several groups of guards on his way to the exit.

Every moment is filled with tension, and it seems to take an eternity before he reaches the door. And even then, he’s not quite out of the woods yet.

Shaking from excitement, he tried to find a way to unlock the door. After a moment of consideration, he scans it.

Judging by the pattern of heat signatures, he can see the most recent code that was typed. 

He cautiously types it in, hoping for the best and fearing the worst.

His eyes widen as the door clicks and a small light shines green.

As soon as he’s outside, he’ll be in the open. His best chance at escape will be to run and hope that he can lose them.

Breathing out a low breath, Zane braces himself.

When he opens the door, he starts sprinting without hesitation. 

Gunshots sound, and Zane stumbles and desperately tries to avoid them- and somehow, with his scanning and constant random movement, he does. 

Ducking and dodging and weaving, it takes all of his skill to make it to the city- he even manages to outrun one of their cars.

When he reaches it, he climbs the first skyscraper he can find, still constantly changing positions to avoid getting hit. 

If he had a faceplate, he would be grinning. It doesn’t take much longer for him to find the Bounty, and by spring boarding off of a building, he manages to climb aboard.

He rushes inside, running through the halls as he tries to find one of his teammates.

After only a minute, he finds Cole in the kitchen, staring down at his bowl of cereal with a rather miserable expression.

When Zane enters, he looks up, eyes widening in shock. “ **_Zane_ ** ?! Is that- is that you?!” He gets up from the table, and Zane runs into his arms, shaking in his relief. 

He’s  **_home_ ** .

Except only a moment later, he’s roughly shoved to the ground, and he looks up to see Cole with a disapproving and almost angry expression.

“How the hell did you escape?! I thought we had finally gotten rid of you!”

Zane feels his excitement fading. “Wh- what?” He can barely choke the word out as he stares at the upset expression on his boyfriend’s face.

“I swear, they  **_said_ ** that they had a good handle on you.” He grumbles to himself, reaching for his phone.

Zane scrambles to his feet, struggling to process the events occurring.

“Cole?” He gets out weakly. “What are you-“

Cole shakes his head with a glare. “No. That’s it. I’m tired of pretending to put up with you. We had  **_finally_ ** gotten rid of you, and I’m not going to fake loving something like you again.”

Every piece of him is trembling as he desperately tries to make sense of his boyfriend’s words. There- there has to be something he’s missing here!

“What’s going on in here?” A new voice asks as its owner enters the room. Zane breathes a sigh of relief when he sees Kai, and he makes to move towards him, but the dismayed and upset expression he receives stops him.

“The fuck is it doing here?” He protests, looking angry. “I thought we had gotten rid of it!”

Cole sighs with a shake of his head. “ **_Apparently_ ** not.” He grumbles. 

When Jay shows up, Zane backs away, fearing the worst. What could possibly-

Jay stares at him for a few moments. “You’ve got to be kidding me.  **_Zane_ ** ?” He turns to look at Kai. “How did it get here?”

Cole shrugs. “It must’ve escaped. I’m calling them now.”

“W- wait!” Zane finally manages to choke out. All eyes return to him, and he fumbles to try to find the words.

He can’t figure out how to reason with how upset they are, so he instead tries to figure out how to stop them.

“Don’t- don’t call them. Please, I- I just escaped, I only wanted to-“

“Is it…  **_begging_ ** ?” Kai scoffs. “What do you know? It can take a hint.”

Jay shakes his head. “It’ll get annoying after a while though. At least the things  **_I_ ** have to say are interesting.” 

“I- you…” Despite how he struggles, nothing he can come up with makes sense. Why would they be acting in this way? They couldn’t… they couldn’t actually be serious?

Zane knows he’s shaking, he’s shaking so much, and with the stress over the past month or so, something inside of him snaps.

He starts to cry.

If he were human, there would be tears on his face, but instead he shakes as his breathing picks up, shuddering and almost falling as his body tries to show his pain.

“Please…” He chokes out, unsure of what else to do. Nothing about this situation makes any sense, but he finds himself falling apart anyway.

Kai stares at him for a few moments. “Okay, that’s enough. Stop crying.”

Zane couldn’t make himself stop if he tried. He wraps his arms around himself, trying to hold on, to hold himself together.

Fear takes over him as Kai’s hand lights ablaze and the red ninja steps closer with malice in his eyes.

“I told you to stop crying.” He reminds in an even more threatening tone.

Zane flinches back, but he still can’t stop himself. His emotions have finally taken over, and it’s all he can do to keep himself from falling apart completely.

Kai smacks him across the face, hand still on fire.

The heat burns against his circuits, especially badly due to his lack of a faceplate. But that’s not even what hurts the most.

**_Kai_ ** just hit him.

He  **_hurt_ ** him.

For  **_crying_ ** .

Zane crumples to his knees, his body wracked with sobs created by both emotional and physical pain. He struggles to find any explanation, but none come to mind.

“Don’t- please, don’t…  **_Kai_ ** !” He sobs out the name of his love, more than ready to beg him for mercy.

“I told you to stop crying! You’re not human, stop acting like one!” The red ninja snaps, looking prepared to do it again.

Cole stops him, setting the phone down. “Easy.” He prompts.

Zane finds himself breathing a quiet sigh of relief. They- it- they’ll stop now, they’ll take him back to his room and tell him that they still love him and explain the reasoning behind what they had done-

“Don’t break it before we  **_all_ ** get a turn.” Cole smiles darkly, and Zane feels a small whimper escape him, still finding himself hoping that there is some logical reasoning behind this.

He’s roughly kicked in the stomach, and the super-strength behind it makes him scream out, hoping against hope that he’s missing a detail that proves that they don’t mean this, that it’s still okay, that  **_they still love him_ ** -

A shock of electricity makes him cry out again, and he shakily looks up to see Jay smirking.

“I like these sounds a lot better than it’s talking.” The blue ninja decides.

A whimper escapes him, but he has no time to reply before he’s blasted in the face with fire, the heat forcing him to fall backwards in a meager attempt to get away. It still doesn’t stop the pain or the scream, but he finds himself scrambling back, trying to get away.

“Oh no you don’t.” Cole snarls, grabbing him by the collar of his tattered and torn gi. He roughly pulls the nindroid closer, a menacing glare on his face.

“We’re not through with you.”

Zane whimpers, still trying to pull away, but his efforts turn out to be useless as he’s dropped to the floor and zapped with lightning again.

The electricity makes him glitch some, and for a moment he could swear that he was back in the training room.

But then his vision clears- just in time for him to get blasted with fire, tearing another scream from him.

“Please, I…” Zane finds himself coming to terms with his situation, and it only makes him sob more.

They never did love him, did they?

“Stop.” He chokes out the word miserably, not really expecting them to listen. “Please, I…  **_please_ ** stop.”

He’s kicked in the face, tearing another agonized screech from him as the pain grows to be overwhelming.

Another shock of lightning, another blast of fire, another rough hit… it all starts to blur together as he sobs, begging and pleading the ones he thought loved him for mercy.

After what feels like a thousand eons, they stop, leaving him on the floor. 

“Someone knock it out.” Kai decides. “We don’t need him putting up a fuss when we take him back.”

Zane makes to try and speak, to try and stop them, but his voice won’t work, too damaged by the rough abuse.

“I’ll do it, I can use my lightning to force it to shut down.” Jay decides.

Zane doesn’t bother trying to resist as he’s shocked into unconsciousness.

There isn’t a real point to it, anyway.

* * *

Zane wakes up as he’s being dragged through the halls, dragged around back in the facility.

He doesn’t resist as he’s taken into the training room and chained back down, too miserable to even attempt it.

Martha walks into the room, and Zane looks up at her, sure that his pain must be clearly shown.

She opens her mouth to speak, but Zane does first.

“Please, Master… don’t hurt me. Please, I… let me go back to my locker.” His voice sounds so numb, so detached from himself.

She arches an eyebrow but still nods, calling the guards back in to drag him away.

He’s put back into the locker, and he starts to sob once again, wishing that things were different.

But they aren’t. He really is just a stupid metal-

_ ARE YOU OKAY? _

Zane hears a half-chuckling sob escape him, too tired to even think straight. But still, he responds.

_ I AM INTACT _

There’s a pause, and Zane considers activating his sleep mode. Perhaps it would help him-

_ MORE SENSORS? _

When it’s tapped out, Zane feels his breathing catch. His sensors. Of course! He had forgotten that they could manipulate what he could see… 

But it felt so  **_real_ ** . Could it really have been an illusion?

_ I THINK SO _

He’s not entirely sure anymore. Because if they are able to manipulate him that much, how could he ever tell fiction from reality? How is he to tell what’s real?

There’s a long pause before Cryptor replies.

_ IT WILL BE OKAY _

At the message, Zane finds himself starting to cry again.

Can it really be okay? After everything they’ve done and will continue to do, how can he believe that?

Cryptor has held on here for over a year and a half. Zane can keep himself together for a little while longer.

Shakily, he taps out his own message.

_ THANK YOU _

But when he activates his sleep mode that night, all he has are nightmares.


	11. The End Of A Rivalry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Look I’ve got a nice sweet chapter here! See? I can be nice!
> 
> ... ish.

“No!” Kai snaps, crossing his arms. “We need to get Zane back  **_now_ ** ! We can’t just wait and hope it’ll turn out oka-“

“We are not  **_just waiting_ ** !” Sentry feels his patience finally cracking. This red ninja is the most infuriating person he has ever met. “I understand that you would like to get Zane back as quickly as possible- I want Cryptor back as well! But this is the only plan that I have been able to come up with that may possibly work! And how many effective plans have  **_you_ ** come up with, again?”

Smoke starts to smolder off of him, but Lloyd puts himself between the two of them. “Do you think it would really work?” He prompts.

Sentry nods. “I already got Dad to agree, and it’s only a matter of time before they’ll have to start giving in.” After a moment's pause, he adds, “Granted, it may be a lot of time, but at the very least, we will start to make progress.”

There’s murmurs of agreement from the other ninja before Jay speaks up. “Is there anything we can do in the meantime?” He prompts.

Hesitating, Sentry tries to come up with any possible thing they could do. After a few moments, he finds himself shaking his head. “Nothing that I can think of.” 

Kai opens his mouth to say something, but Nya pulls him back. Although he can’t hear her, he’s easily able to read her lips when she whispers at her brother to “ _ Shut up _ ”.

“Thanks for your help.” Cole speaks up next, giving him a pained smile. “We’ll see if there’s anything else we can do to move things along.”

Sentry nods with his own forced smile. “I should get back to the tower. Good luck!”

And with that, he heads off, hoping against hope that they’ll be able to find them.

It might take some time, but they’ll get them out.

One way or another.

{ { { { { { { { { { ~ } } } } } } } } } }

Zane shifts uncomfortably in the locker. They have been left alone for quite a while, and while he certainly does not prefer it when he is being tortured… 

He finds himself rather bored.

After a few more hours of dwelling in his thoughts, an idea strikes him, and he starts to tap on the side of the locker.

_ WHAT NUMBER AM I THINKING OF? _

There’s only a short pause before Cryptor replies, much shorter than most previous ones.

_ WHAT THE FUCK HOW IMMATURE ARE YOU? _

Zane finds himself shaking some. Perhaps playing a game  **_is_ ** rather immature, but he was designed to have consistent cognitive challenges, and this current circumstance is not a good example of them.

_ MY WORD IS FIFTEEN LETTERS LONG _

If Zane still had his faceplate, he’s sure his expression would be one of surprise- at least, until it would turn into a smile as the words fully register.

_ HANGMAN? _

He doesn’t wait for a response before tapping out his own.

_ LETTER A? _

As Cryptor taps out his reply, Zane suddenly finds that he doesn’t feel as alone anymore.

_ FOUR FROM THE END _

If his eye sockets were fully in place, Zane would be rolling his eyes. As it is, he shakes his head in amusement.

_ UNCOPYRIGHTABLE? _

It would only make sense for Cryptor to go with the longest word without any letter repeats- it would likely stump the vast majority of people.

There’s a long pause before Cryptor replies.

_ HOW LONG IS YOUR WORD? _

A low chuckle escapes him as he recognizes Cryptor admitting defeat. He takes a few moments to think of one.

He hesitates before he sends the message, debating if he really should choose this word. 

_ TEN LETTERS _

There’s barely a pause before Cryptor replies, the other quickly tapping out his own message.

_ LETTER A? _

It seems as though Cryptor has the same strategy as him. Pick out the vowels and move on from there.

_ NO LETTER A _

This is actually a relatively simple word, but it is the meaning behind it that makes it so important, the implications and the question that it asks. 

_ LETTER E? _

Zane still finds himself wary when he responds. It is possible that Cryptor will be annoyed and perhaps stop speaking to him, but that is a risk that he must take.

_ THE FOURTH LETTER _

There’s a slight pause before Cryptor asks another letter.

_ LETTER I? _

Zane nods, despite the fact that Cryptor can’t see him. It’s an almost instinctual habit to provide visual agreement.

_ THIRD AND NINTH LETTERS _

There’s a pause, a very long pause, and it makes Zane start to doubt himself. This was somewhat risky, but he was hoping that perhaps- 

_ THE WORD IS FRIENDSHIP? _

Hesitantly, Zane gives an affirmative reply, trying to hold steady. The word itself is plain and simple, but in this circumstance, it is asking him if they could truly consider each other allies, if they can trust each other, if they… 

If they can actually be friends.

Zane is well aware that Cryptor was based off of his design and was built to kill him and his teammates, but the circumstances have changed so much that perhaps… perhaps they could ally themselves for more than convenience.

A few minutes pass, and with every one, Zane feels his tension levels rising. Is Cryptor denying him his request for friendship? Or is he simply thinking about it? What-

_ MY WORD IS SEVEN LETTERS LONG _

Zane feels himself shaking as he tries to consider the possible words. This is likely either an acceptance or denial, or perhaps even just a way to ignore the meaning.

_ LETTER I? _

Cryptor’s response comes in quick.

_ THIRD LETTER _

Even though he has an idea of what it likely is, Zane decides to be certain before he says it.

_ LETTER F? _

Every passing second feels like an hour, though time has not truly slowed.

_ FIRST LETTER _

Zane breathes out a little at Cryptor’s reply. So far it appears that he is correct about what the word is, but it would be unwise to make a hasty assumption.

_ LETTER E? _

Cryptor’s response comes rather quickly, minimizing the agonizing time spent waiting.

_ FOURTH LETTER _

Shaking, Zane continues, trying to ignore the combination of excitement and fear as they draw closer to the end of the word.

_ LETTER N? _

Despite no tone being capable through Morse Code, Cryptor still manages to sound annoyed.

_ THE WORD IS FRIENDS YOU IDIOT _

Zane hears a soft laugh escape him as he shakes his head in amusement, some cheerfulness washing over him at the confirmation that they really are friends.

_ MY WORD IS FIVE LETTERS LONG _

They continue on like this for quite a while before stopping, the both of them finally growing tired with the game. It had been enjoyable while it lasted, but all things are better in moderation.

Smiling, Zane prepares his sleep mode, ready about to release the memories of a rather uneventful day.

But then he hears the patter of soft footsteps down the hall. Zane finds himself pressing backwards against the back of the locker, unhappy with the torment he’s sure will be coming.

It seems to take a while for the guard to figure out the lock- perhaps they are new here, or the system has been recently changed.

The door opens, and Zane hears a low gasp escape him as he recognizes the one on the other side- or rather, what his sensors want him to believe.

Still, he looks so real, so lifelike, that Zane can’t stop himself from breathing out the name of his boyfriend.

“ **_Kai_ ** .”


	12. A Stupid Metal Box

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay I’m gonna start this by saying I made a mistake, I posted the two RP chapters in the wrong spot, the aren’t supposed to show up until after this one. I’m going to delete them and then tomorrow post them where they go

Kai is done. He so fucking done with this shit.

He’s getting Zane out, and he’s getting him out right this very minute. It’s already been a month and a half, he’s not going to wait for some long term plan, not when he could be busting Zane out right now!

Kai had spent days and days studying every government file he could possibly get his hands on until he **_finally_ ** figured out where they were keeping Zane.

Some of the things they had written were just plain **_disgusting_ **.

_‘Original has yet to perform as expected, but this is not a large complication as said subject appears to be reaching appropriate behavioral status. Even so, it will require much more regulation before it begins functioning optimally.’_

It had taken time to be able to figure out what the hell they had been talking about, but when he translated it he had felt almost sick.

Zane isn’t doing what they want, but they’re starting to make him behave by straight up torturing him. But the worst part is that they don’t even seem to have a problem with that kind of thing.

And even after he had found and translated the files, he had still had to come up with a plan to get inside the near-impenetrable fortress.

There’s a large open field around the base, likely so that they can see anyone who would try to break in or escape. 

As a ninja, it’s not even that difficult. He just hides under a truck and hopes he doesn’t fly off as it goes up to the base.

In all honesty, he never thought that the underside of a car would smell so bad. How does Jay enjoy working on these things?

When the truck finally pulls up, Kai carefully unhooks himself and sneakily creeps away, doing his best to not be spotted by the guards.

They scout out the perimeter, but he manages to find lapses in their patterns that let him just barely avoid being seen as he gets inside- though he did have to use Airjitzu at one point.

Caution is the way to go with this. Every step he takes has to be precise. He can’t afford to slip up- not with Zane on the line.

Kai carefully sneaks around, trying to find the cubby that Zane is being kept in. The files he had found gave him a lot more information than he should probably have.

A mission has never been so stressful before. It really shouldn’t be so difficult, but his unease and worry are starting to get to him. Even things as simple as hiding behind a box are leaving him shaking.

If he’s being honest, he probably should’ve told the others about his plan. But they would’ve tried to stop him, probably worrying that he’d get put in jail again.

But this time, he’s not being reckless. This time, he’s putting his best foot forward.

This time, he’s going to save Zane.

It takes him some time to figure out where these cubbies are- because they seriously just put him away like an **_object on a shelf_ **\- and even longer to figure out which one is Zane’s.

Even then, it’s not over. Checking over his shoulder repeatedly, Kai carefully picks the lock, thankful that he had managed to convince Lloyd to teach him.

When he finally opens the locker, he feels relief flood through him.

Then it’s mixed by horror as he sees just how **_damaged_ ** his boyfriend is- they tore his face off. They seriously **_tore his face off_ ** what in the name of the First-

“ **_Kai_ **.” Zane breathes out, a series of conflicting emotions on his face- but they’re all nothing compared to the fear overlaying them.

He looks like he’s near tears, and Kai takes a step forward, ready to finally comfort him, to take his boyfriend home.

Finally.

This nightmare is over.

{ { { { { { { { { { ~ } } } } } } } } } }

Zane punches the faux-Kai in the stomach, somewhat upset the fact that his hands are still cuffed. It will be difficult to fend off the one in place of his love like this, but he will manage.

The false Kai stumbles back, clutching his abdomen. “What was that for?!” He chokes out, trying to move closer again. 

Wedging himself further back in the locker, Zane glares heavily. “I will not be fooled by your lies!” He snaps. “This facade of yours won’t trick me!”

Pseudo-Kai glances around, slight panic forming on his face. “They’re gonna hear you!” He hisses quietly. “C’mon, we need to get you out of here!”

He tries to grab Zane, but the white ninja resists to the best of his ability. He is unsure what they have planned in store for him, but he knows for a fact that he will not allow himself to be fooled any longer.

“Release me!” Zane demands, managing to get a kick in hard enough that sends the fake Kai skidding back.

“Zane, we have to get you out of here!” Faux-Kai insists, a look of fear and confusion about him as he attempts to grab the white ninja once again. “We don’t have time for this!”

Zane continues to fend him off, and though he is pulled from the locker, he refuses to give any more ground.

“I would rather be tortured than go anywhere with the likes of you!” He snarls, silently cursing the fact that his hands are bound.

It’s difficult, it’s so difficult to hold his ground when he sees the look of hurt and pain on his love’s face.

But Zane shakes his head, trying to dispel the feeling. No, this isn’t Kai, this is an imitation of him, a false version generated by his deluded sensors.

“Zane, I don’t want to fight you! Please, we need to get you out of here! The guards will be back soon, we can’t-“

That’s it. The guards! If they truly want him to believe that this is Kai, they will take him away when they show up.

But they would not listen if he called for them. They never listen to anything he says or does, so they likely would ignore him. So how could he-

As the pseudo-Kai still seems to be figuring out what to do, Zane darts over to a wall and pulls an alarm.

The guards had come when Cryptor had done such, and they will have to show again for the sake of authenticity.

The false Kai stares at him with a look of borderline horror. “Why would you do that?!” He demands. “We can’t-“

In that moment, the guards appear, quickly surrounding them.

Zane glares at them. “Get him out of here!” He demands. “And you plan to punish me for this defiance, so be it! I have learned from my mistakes, and I will not be fooled again!”

While they start dragging the faux-Kai away, Zane turns and heads back to his locker. Even as the simulated version of his boyfriend yells after him, he doesn’t listen, he doesn’t even look back.

When he steps inside the locker, he closes the door, allowing them to re-lock it.

He will **_not_ ** be fooled again.

{ { { { { { { { { { ~ } } } } } } } } } }

Kai shouts after Zane, but his boyfriend doesn’t reply, he **_willfully_ ** goes back inside his tiny cell, not even bothering to look back at him.

“Zane!” Kai calls out to his boyfriend as he tries to resist the guards, but not only are they skilled, there’s just too many of them! “Zane, what are you **_doing_ **?!”

He’s roughly put in handcuffs and dragged away as he struggles to comprehend what has just happened. 

What had they been **_doing_ ** to Zane? What could they possibly have done to make him not even trust the **_sight_ ** of Kai? 

He continues to resist, but no matter what he does, he can’t make any progress. 

Even when he’s taken outside and put in the back seat of a police truck, he still doesn’t stop fighting, he doesn’t stop trying to get back to Zane, to get that locker open and **_save him_ **-

But nothing works. The cuffs are vengestone, and the guards are just too strong.

He’s once again taken to the police station, and Kai curses under his breath when he sees it.

Not only did he fail to save Zane, he’s also going back to jail, where his teammates will have to pick him up- **_again_ **.

When he’s put back in the cell, he sighs, still trying to wrap his head around what had happened.

They need to save Zane. Every moment they wait, he goes through more and more.

But his plans aren’t working. He only gets in trouble whenever he tries.

… maybe he should try actually listening to the others. 

“Zane…” he mutters to himself, “Zane, I promise we’ll get you out of there. Just hold on a little longer.”

“ **_Hold on._ **”

{ { { { { { { { { { ~ } } } } } } } } } }

Zane is taken to the training room not long after the fake Kai had been taken away and he sighs as he realizes that he will likely be punished for not allowing himself to be tricked.

Martha steps into the room, a rather intrigued look on her face.

“I’m glad you’re finally starting to see your place. You really do belong here.” She smiles, sounding somewhat amused.

Zane scoffs. “I would not be fooled by such an imitation!” He snaps, annoyance taking over him. With all the manipulation they had done, do they truly believe that he would continue to fall for their obvious lies?

“Original…” Martha shakes her head, “if he was an imitation, why would we have taken him away?”

Sighing, Zane decides to hold the conversation, even though it seems to be only to bother him. “To make it seem as though he **_was_ ** real when he was not, to delude me into thinking-“

“No. In what situation have we ever ended an illusion because you wanted us to? We would have created an excuse, claimed that he drew them away.” Martha explains, and Zane hates how her words ring true. Everything they had done so far points to the fact they **_would_ ** do that.

“This- **_you_** **_lie_**!” He argues against her despite that. He would not have fought off the real Kai, he would not allow himself to stay in this wretched place, he-

“Claim what you will, Original. But you know that I’m right. That **_was_ ** your teammate. And now, you’ll never see him again.”

While Zane knows they can manipulate his sensors, every scan he runs proves that she’s not lying, and every thought process points that what she says is true.

“I… you- it…” He finds himself fumbling for words, desperately trying to find a way to prove that she’s wrong. 

“Take it back to its locker. It did good today; no training is necessary.” 

Horror has fully taken over him when he’s returned to the locker, and he tries to struggle against them, though he knows it’s futile.

That night, he cries himself to sleep.

He really is just a **_stupid metal box_ **.


	13. What’s The Point In It, Anyway?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I’m re-posting the RP piece (both POVs) in the correct spot, and later today I’ll post the next chapter to make up for all of this

Zane warily eyes the young adult who enters alongside Martha. Does she intend to hurt him to force him to do something?

“What do you want?” He questions, hating the resignation in his tone.

He really **_has_ ** begun to give up.

The blond seems oddly excited, considering the circumstances. It looks as though he’s barely containing himself as he comes up to Zane.

He leans into the nindroid’s personal space, studying him closely in a way that once again makes him feel like a studied lab rat.

"I want to learn how you work." The blond smiles deviously. He then grabs Zane’s face and moves it around to inspect it from different angles, and Zane tries to cover up his winces of pain as some of his exposed sensors are touched.

The blond takes a few notes in a notebook before returning to Martha’s side, still with an evil expression.

Zane tries to hide his sigh of relief when the teen leaves. It had taken a lot of impulse control to stop himself from attempting to bite the blond- being manhandled in such a way is a very unpleasant feeling.

“Haven’t you done that enough?” He protests, shifting in his bonds to the best of his ability. “With everything you’ve done to me, I doubt that any competent mechanic would need any more research.” 

He glares at the two while he speaks, wishing he still had his faceplate- if only to better emphasize his look of displeasure.

The young man laughs a little, seemingly more to himself than to anyone around him. Yet once again, there’s still an almost cruel aura around him that puts Zane on edge.

"Thing is, Original, I'm not exactly a mechanic. I'm just really, really interested by your wires and gears. And how well they respond to… Certains stimuli," he says. 

The teen takes a few more notes before looking to Martha, seeming to wait for approval. She gives it with a nod.

Zane doesn’t quite grasp what is happening until wires are hooked up to him, the blond still seeming to almost shake in his excitement.

He then steps in front of the control panel and looks back to Martha.

Zane feels a wave of unease take over him. Something about this situation is concerning him, and it’s more than the fact that they likely plan to hurt him.

They haven’t given any orders. They haven’t asked any questions. And yet it seems that they plan to hurt him anyway.

They claim that this is training, but at this particular moment, it seems as though this shaping up to be more torture than an attempt at teaching.

“To begin with, my name is Zane, not Original. Second, if you are so interested in ‘wires and gears’ perhaps a robotics course would be a more healthy outlet for you.”

He’s well aware that his words will make no difference, but he attempts to convince the teen to leave him alone anyway. 

After a few moments, he adds, “Why are you doing this? I can assure you that I have never meant to cause harm on any innocents.” He glances over at Martha on the last words, noting her displeased expression.

“You can begin whenever you like.” She tells the blond, who hums in response. 

"Hey, Original?" He calls out, waiting until Zane looks at him to continue. "You talk a lot."

The young man then pushes a button, and Zane finds himself squirming in his bonds at the uncomfortable feeling. This is far from the worst they have done or can do, but it is still not a pleasant feeling.

He watches as the blond writes something else down, and starts to try and reason with the teen, trying to convince him to stop. He even uses proper manners, but it still seems to have no effect.

When his requests to stop are left ignored, Zane decides to take a new track.

“I suppose I am talking a lot,” he admits, “but not nearly as much as an old friend of mine. Jay couldn’t stay quiet if his life depended on it.” 

While starting up a friendly conversation might seem illogical, Zane hopes that it will perhaps give him some insight on the one hurting him. Information about the blond may give him an opportunity to convince him to stop- and perhaps small talk will help him prove that he is seintent.

"Heh, yeah. I had a guy like that in one of my foster homes." The blond smirks, seemingly at the way Zane is surprised. "Didn't end well for him either. No one like a constant source of useless noise, don't you agree?"

Zane isn’t quite sure why he finds him so humorous, but he chooses not to dwell on it, instead trying to find an appropriate response to the words.

"How is your old friend doing now?" The blond smirks as he turns up the voltage, staring Zane dead in the eyes.

Zane struggles to keep a hold of himself, gritting his teeth and trying to maintain the conversation.

And endless source of constant noise? That could be a way to describe it, but Zane has always been fond of Jay’s rambling.

“I haven’t seen him in a while- I’ve been a little…” He glances down at his chains, wincing. “... tied up.” 

At this point, it’s likely that the blond has a game of his own if he’s still choosing to continue the small talk- and the large smirk on his face confirms it.

He pauses a moment before continuing. “I don’t think I caught your name, either. What do you go by?”

The blond wears a faux-surprised expression for a moment before answering. "My name's Kyle. He/him, I guess. But I don't think you're going to need to know that."

He returns to slowly upping the charge of the voltage, seeming to reveal in the uncomfortableness that he’s causing.

"Tell me about your other old friends.” Kyle still doesn’t look away. “You said you were dating, right ? How's it like ?" That menacing smile doesn’t fade, and while Zane isn’t quite sure where he’s going with this, surely playing along for the moment couldn’t hurt.

He forces any sign of pain down, attempting to keep up a polite and friendly facade even as the pain increases.

“It’s nice to meet you, Kyle.” He lies. “I don’t recall mentioning that I was in an active relationship, but I suppose that the background research you must’ve done would cover that.”

It is obvious that they know about his boyfriends- how else would they have known to show him what they did in the sensory manipulation?

The pain is still increasing, and it’s becoming harder and harder to pretend as though he’s not hurt. 

His breathing has begun to grow heavy, and he’s sure that there are flickers of winces being shown, but he still does his best to maintain his friendly appearance.

"Yeah, I read your file before coming here. Big fan, by the way." Kyle still wears a cruel smile, but it starts to turn more menacing, an evil nature with more purpose. "Wonder how they feel about your self-sacrificing nature," he snarls.

But then he pauses, gritting his teeth. He seems to be trying to keep a hold on himself, but Zane isn’t quite sure what could have triggered it.

Unless… is it possible that his self destruct could have harmed more the way it did Martha?

Zane doesn’t have time to dwell on the thoughts, as he’s suddenly blasted with electricity, and he’s forced to bite back a cry of pain.

Thankfully, it’s only high for a few moments before Kyle lowers it, allowing Zane to regain his composure with a relieved sigh.

Kyle redirects the conversation again. "So, your old friends ?"

Zane decides to instead address the major concern of what may be a part of Kyle’s hostility.

“When I was fighting the Golden Master, I meant no harm to any innocent people. I was built to protect those who cannot protect themselves. I… I understand that in some ways, I have failed this function, but I do my best to help those in need.”

Breathe in, breathe out. Keep calm. He can’t let the pain overtake him- he’s begun to sense that that’s what Kyle wants.

He debates saying more, but chooses to remain silent, waiting for a hopefully diplomatic response.

Kyle sighs and gives him a sharp glare that confirms Zane’s hypothesis. It was likely that his sacrifice had-

He’s cut off from his thoughts by a spike of electricity, and it takes quite a bit of willpower to prevent himself from shouting out at the pain.

Unfortunately, it appears that his pained reaction pleases Kyle, who is now smiling again.

"You didn't answer my question, Original. How was life with your… Boyfriends ? Kai **_Smith_ ** , Jay **_Walker_ ** and Cole **_Brookstone_ **, yeah ?" He smiles as he emphasises the last names, a menacing threat behind his words.

Zane feels everything in his body go rigid, and with his concentration now centered on the others, he knows that he is having more acute reactions to the pain.

He hates the small whimper that escapes him, but he ignores it in favor of speaking, addressing the underlying threat of his words.

“You do not **_touch_ ** them.” He snarls. “If you hurt them, I swear on the First Spinjitzu Master that I will hunt you down to the ends of the-“ Zane finds himself cut off with a cry of pain as the voltage is jammed up.

"Calm down. I didn't even actually threaten them yet," The blond mutters to himself. Thankfully, it’s not long before he lowers the voltage, and when he does Zane is able to breathe again.

But his panic is still running high. He had all but directly said that-

"If I wanted to truly use them as hostages, I'd tell you I know which shop they go to every two weeks to buy supplies and food, which is the one at the end of the main avenue."

The voltage begins to increase, and Zane wants to be listening, but he can only just make out his words, in too much pain to think straight.

"I'd tell you we have live feed of them almost every day and everywhere they go."

Zane hates the loud screams escaping him, but he can’t even focus on them, all of his attention forcefully grabbed by the pain and the threats, the way he threatens the ones he loves-

"Or… I'd tell you how one of them already got arrested once, and how easy it is to transfer prisoners or fake an accident."

Zane can feel the way his body is reaching the maximum limits of what it can handle, he can’t handle much more of this, this will **_kill_ ** him, he can’t possibly-

When the power is shut off, Zane finds himself sobbing, thankful that it’s gone, the pain is gone, but he still has fear running through him, fear of what could possibly happen to the ones he loves.

Kyle walks up to him, and Zane hates the fact that he flinches, and he hates even more the smile the teen wears when he does.

"Don't you dare threaten me or her ever again. Remember who holds the power here," the blond mutters in his ear before going back over to Martha, checking his notebook.

Zane doesn’t have it in him to be ashamed of how much he had screamed when the voltage was on maximum power- or at least, what had felt like it.

He wants to retort, to tell the boy that will protect his boyfriends to the death, to tell him that he is more than a machine, to tell him that he will threaten him again if he has to.

But he can’t find the words. He’s too tired to come up with proper sentences.

The part of him that spends too much time with Kai urges him to tell the teen a string of insulting curse words, but Zane ignores it.

When the two leave the room, Zane doesn’t even bother saying a farewell.

What’s the point in it, anyway?

{ { { { { { { { { { ~ } } } } } } } } } }

* * *

{ { { { { { { { { { ~ } } } } } } } } } }

The young man can feel the android's gaze on him. It's wary of Martha and him, although he can hardly blame it. But he can't help but find the idea of a machine being "scared" kind of funny.

"What do you want?" It asks, most likely knowing something is coming, judging from the resignation in its voice. Kyle smiles internally. 

You can almost see the **cracks**.

The blond is practically buzzing with excitement. A real android! And he gets to study it up close! 

Getting closer, he inspects its face. The eerie look almost makes him shudder.

"I want to learn how you work." He takes Original's chin in his hand, moving it's head left and right to get a better look at it. The winces of "pain" from the android are uncanny.

He writes down some notes and takes his place next to the official again. Next part should be fun.

The android seems less than pleased with him playing with its uncovered face. Still, it bites its tongue instead of Kyle's hand (despite its very obvious desire to do so) until the blond is done, and lets out what sounds like a breath of relief. 

How can you replicate relief in coding ? It's AI is fascinating. 

"Haven't you done that enough?" It whines, trying to shake off its bonds. "With everything you've done to me, I doubt that any competent mechanic would need any more research."

It tries to shoot him a displeased glare, but without its faceplate it just looks unsettling and pathetic.

Kyle chuckles to himself. For a machine, it's talking a lot. Fascinating.

"Thing is, Original, I'm not exactly a mechanic. I'm just really, really interested by your wires and gears. And how well they respond to… Certains stimuli," he says. 

A few more words in his notes and he looks at Martha, asking if it's time. She nods. Awesome.

As fast as he can, the blond connects wires to the android, barely able to contain his joy. It's not everyday you get to experiment on a non-human sentient being. 

Stepping in front of the control panel, he waits for the official's instructions, almost shaking from anticipation.

Original isn't looking so good. It seems worried. Well, it's right. It should be. The distress emanating from it is very interesting, too. Can it sense the danger looming over it?

“To begin with, my name is Zane, not Original. Second, if you are so interested in ‘wires and gears’ perhaps a robotics course would be a more healthy outlet for you," it tries to reason with him. Too bad that it's way more interesting than a simple robotics course.

After a pause, it adds, "Why are you doing this? I can assure you that I have never meant to cause harm on any innocents.” 

Kyle's hand twitches. He looks over at Martha. She's wearing a displeased expression. He didn't expect anything else, and he's probably making the same face as well.

“You can begin whenever you like.” The official tone sounds slightly interested, now.

He hums in response. 

"Hey, Original?" He calls out to the robot. "You talk a lot."

He pushes a button and a small jolt of electricity was released. This fairly small amount of energy is only meant to cause discomfort. Wouldn't want to burn it out too fast.

The android squirms and still attempts to free itself, but no real pain response occurs. Interesting. A new paragraph written.

It still tries to reason with him, going on and on about how it wants it to stop, please. Kyle drowns the sound out with his thoughts. That wasn't very exciting.

Maybe with a stronger charge, something interesting will happen? That's what Martha seems to think too.

The android finally looks like it understands it's not talking him out of it.

How advanced is its code supposed to be, again? That took a while.

“I suppose I am talking a lot,” It concedes, “but not nearly as much as an old friend of mine. Jay couldn’t stay quiet if his life depended on it.” 

Is it trying to have a conversation with him? Now? In its situation?

It must have thought of something. Let's humor it.

"Heh, yeah. I had a guy like that in one of my foster homes." A smirk grows on the blond’s face as the robot seems startled. "Didn't end well for him either. No one like a constant source of useless noise, don't you agree?"

Even without a faceplate, its expressions are pretty easy to guess. It's almost laughable how a few words shakes it up. 

Making small talk is is a smart plan, he'll give it that. It's probably hoping that it'll make him like it enough to not hurt it. Let's see how long this game can last.

"How is your old friend doing now?" He asks, slowly turning up the voltage. The other engineers told him this should be as painful as period cramps, so that's fun. 

The android struggles under the amount of electricity building up. But still, it continues to talk. Kyle's impressed.

“I haven’t seen him in a while- I’ve been a little…” It looks at its restrains and winces, probably reminded of its situation.. “... tied up.” 

At big crooked smile appears on the blond's face. It's even making jokes now! Powering through painful situations could be a valuable asset if they were to make something like supersoldiers. Looking good so far.

“I don’t think I caught your name, either. What do you go by?” It asks, most likely trying to get information on him. That's not very important data, though. It can have it.

The blond lets his face turn into a surprised expression for a second. "My name's Kyle. He/him, I guess. But I don't think you're going to need to know that."

He turns the charge a little higher again, hoping to see some more interesting pain responses as they continue to talk. This is getting boring. Martha seems to approve of his method, however. Thanks, mom.

"Tell me about your other old friends. You said you were dating, right? How's it like ?" He asks again, a sinister smile on his face. How about a good old Pavlovian shock therapy? 

Original fights any sign of discomfort or pain, and its calm expression is almost unsettling when you know what its sensors are going through right now.

“It’s nice to meet you, Kyle," It tells him, the lie barely noticeable. But Kyle has worked with hypocrites before. Original is talented. “I don’t recall mentioning that I was in an active relationship, but I suppose that the background research you must’ve done would cover that.”

Kyle smiles and says nothing. He increases the tension steadily, appreciating the sight of the android losing its peaceful facade, with flashes of pain occasionally visible on its face.

Impressive. The robot is still fighting. Maybe leaving the sensors at their normal settings was too nice, but oh well. Things are just now getting better.

"Yeah, I read your file before coming here. Big fan, by the way." He smiles, but the hostility starts to seep in his voice. "Wonder how they feel about your self-sacrificing nature," he almost spit out. 

No. Breathe. Calm down.

Some composure regained, he suddenly sends it a jolt of electricity. Seeing it almost bite its tongue in pain is pretty therapeutic, actually. 

Kyle lowers the voltage to let the robot catch his artificial breath. It's going to give up completely pretty soon. He'll have some fun with it first.

"So, your old friends ?"

Its pathetic sigh of relief is still very satisfying. It looks desperate, and tries to explain its past actions. It really doesn't need to. Kyle already knows they're unforgivable. 

“When I was fighting the Golden Master, I meant no harm to any innocent people. I was built to protect those who cannot protect themselves. I… I understand that in some ways, I have failed this function, but I do my best to help those in need.”

The android attempts to steady its breathing. Trying to keep keep a sliver of dignity in front of the enemy, maybe ?

Anyways, it stopped talking. Finally.

Kyle sighs and does his best not to give a snarky reply. It seems to believe in what it's saying, anyways. Further proof of how out of touch with reality its AI is.

Another spike of tension, and Kyle is smiling again.

"You didn't answer my question, Original. How was life with your… Boyfriends ? Kai **_Smith_ ** , Jay **_Walker_ ** and Cole **_Brookstone_ **, yeah ?" He says, insisting on their last names. They know who they are. Perhaps that'll make it talk.

His excitement level goes through the roof at Original's reaction. It goes stiff, most likely from anger. He found the weak spot.

A whimper escapes it, but it doesn't adress it. It's really mad.

“You do not **_touch_ ** them," it snarls at him. If Kyle's hand had been close to its face, there was no doubt it would've bitten him. “If you hurt them, I swear on the First Spinjitzu Master that I will hunt you down to the ends of the-“ Kyle cuts him off by sending it a strong shock. It cries in pain. The blond doesn't feel bad.

"Calm down. I didn't even actually threaten them yet," The boy mutters, leaving the tension run high a few more seconds before leaving it room to breathe again. The pathetic sounds of relief it does each time makes him want to laugh.

"If I wanted to truly use them as hostages, I'd tell you I know which shop they go to every two weeks to buy supplies and food, which is the one at the end of the main avenue."

Slowly, almost imperceptibly, the voltage starts going up again.

"I'd tell you we have live feed of them almost every day and everywhere they go."

The pain must be becoming close to absolutely unbearable, seeing how the android trashes around. Fun.

"Or… I'd tell you how one of them already got arrested once, and how easy it is to transfer prisoners or fake an accident."

The power is now all the way up. It's almost scary how much this artificial body can handle.

Before it actually physically breaks, though, Kyle shuts off the power. The android's breath of relief is broken up by what sounds like sobs.

The blond comes closer, chuckling as the machine flinches near him. He takes off the wires plugged into it.

"Don't you dare threaten me or her ever again. Remember who holds the power here," he mutters in its ear before joining Martha with a smile, his notepad black with scribbles. She looks satisfied. 

The android looks like it wants to say something, but doesn't have the strength to do so anymore. That's a satisfying sight.

He leaves the room with Martha, closing the door after her. 

She smiles at him.

"It's close. You were right, you can almost see it cracking by the minute."

She fondly ruffles his hair and he chuckles, his nose tickled.

"Good job, sweetie."


	14. Dramatic Irony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this is the last pre-written chapter, so things are going to slow down. Again, sorry for the mix up of where the chapters go-

It’s been two months since Zane has been captured, and things have been progressively getting more and more difficult.

Not just for Zane, but Cryptor as well- the other seems to be having a lot of trouble too, and Zane can’t help but feel regret over resisting to the point that Cryptor’s cover was blown.

Today they are both taken out of the lockers together- a very worrisome thing.

Zane glances over at Cryptor, trying to silently see if the other has any idea of what’s going on.

But Cryptor just stares back helplessly; it’s clear that he’s just as confused as Zane.

They’re split up and taken to different rooms, yet this doesn’t ease his fears. They’re playing some game here, and Zane is once again unaware of the rules.

He’s surprised when he finds that he’s taken to a different room- it’s not the training room or the workshop, but it looks largely similar to the former.

When he’s chained down, he opens his mouth to speak- but he’s unable to do so as he’s suddenly cut off by horrible flares of pain racing through his body.

The agony that races through him is incomparable, it’s pure and raw in a way that no biological nerves could mimic, and it makes him scream, scream and **_yell_ ** , hoping, wishing, on the verge of **_begging_ ** for it to go away.

When it stops, Zane manages to weakly lift his head, a quiet curse escaping him as he recognizes Martha.

Sighing, he resigns himself to his fate. The sooner they start, the sooner it ends. These sessions last for a maximum of twelve hours, and that is the high number- most only last for five or six.

“Today we’re going to be doing something a little different.” Martha tells him, but Zane does his best to ignore her. If he doesn’t listen, he’s not as tempted to give in.

“You don’t have to refer to me as Master. You don’t have to beg.” She pauses a moment, allowing Zane to absorb the words. “All you have to do is ask for General to be hurt instead.”

Mind racing, Zane stares up at her, trying to fully understand her words.

Then he scoffs. “Then I suppose that I will be here a while,” he shoots back, “because I would **_never_ ** ask for another to be harmed in my place.”

Martha only shakes her head with a smile. “That’s what you say **_now_ **. But I’m sure you’ll change your mind.”

“I will **_not_ **.” Zane growls out, glaring with everything he has- an expression that would likely be more threatening if he actually had a face.

She turns away from him and begins to walk towards the door. When she reaches it, she turns back to look at him.

“I have it set to random,” Martha smiles sweetly, “see you in a few hours.”

And then she just… **_leaves_ **.

Bewildered, it takes him a few moments to even think about calling after her, and by the time it does, the door is closed and she’s out of earshot.

Puzzled, Zane starts to try and figure out wh-

An agonized screech escapes him as pain wracks his body. Every **_panel_ ** , every **_sensor_ ** , every **_processor_ ** alight with the indescribable torment caused by the electricity.

It hurts, it hurts so much, there are no words to describe the kind of **_torture_ ** that his body is being afflicted with.

Tearless sobs tear through him as he shakes and trembles, desperately trying to get away from the pain, the sheer pain that takes up his whole mind, stopping him from thinking about anything but how much it **_hurts_ **.

Then it stops, and he can breathe again. But the pause lasts only a moment before it returns, the agonizing feeling shaking more screams and sobs from him.

During a slightly longer pause that allows him to think, Zane finds himself blearily wondering if Cryptor is going through the same…

{ { { { { { { { { { ~ } } } } } } } } } }

Cryptor grits his teeth and stares down at the floor, ignoring the smirking blond in front of him.

He’s in pain, yeah, but there’s no way in hell that he’s giving this brat the satisfaction of seeing just how much.

“You’re really not as fun as Original, you know,” the brat complains, “but I guess I can work with you.”

Cryptor breathes out a little as he’s given a short reprieve. “I’m actually better than Zane, but go off I guess.” He gives his best passive-aggressive smile as he speaks.

Kyle seems to perk up at that. “So you know memes? Wouldn't have guessed. Maybe this won’t be as boring as I thought, after all.” The second part seems like it’s more to himself than to Cryptor, given the way it’s muttered.

The nindroid sighs. Maybe he shouldn’t have said anything at all. This brat has a really skewed perception of fun…

One guess to what it is.

“Oh! I almost forgot to mention. There’s something special about today.” Kyle smiles darkly, and Cryptor would roll his eyes if he had his faceplate.

“I’m not going to like it, am I.” It’s not a question, but he says it out loud anyway.

Kyle doesn’t respond verbally at first, he first blasts him with another jolt of electricity- thankfully shorter this time, but no less agonizing.

When it ends, he speaks up.

“You see, it's special because today, and today only, you get a way out. Totally free of charge. Only thing you have to do is say you want to give the pain to Original, instead. See? That's nice of us, isn't it?”

Cryptor scoffs. “Yeah, super nice. I **_totally_ ** appreciate you trying to make us enemies. That’s **_such_ ** a great thing.” His voice is dripping with venom as he glares at the brat.

"Hmpf. Thought you'd be grateful after all that whining you gave us before." Kyle seems vaguely annoyed, but honestly Cryptor couldn’t care less.

The words themselves, however, are a different matter.

“It was a moment of weakness,” he snaps, “and it won’t happen again.”

Kyle seems kind of amused as he chuckles. “Are you sure about that? Really, really sure?”

Staring him dead in the eyes, Cryptor answers.

“As sure as your boyfriend is dead.”

It had taken him a while to get ahold of that particular piece of information, but the murderous look on the brat’s face makes it worth it.

From what he can tell, it was said boyfriend- Gavin, was his name?- that made him go batshit, likely due to his death caused by Zane’s explosion.

"You know, I'm not the worst thing that can happen to you. But for this? I'll gladly be." Kyle’s words are dark and threatening, but once again, Cryptor really doesn’t give a shit.

"If you ever so much as mention him again, I'll make sure you regret ever being assembled. As sure as your other nindroid friend is dead."

Okay. 

Now he’s got his attention.

Cryptor opens his mouth to tell him off, but it’s interrupted by a choked out cry of pain as every single sensor in his body is assaulted in horrible **_agony_ **. 

A brief pause gives him just enough time to see the damn brat’s face, and he kinda wishes he hadn’t opened his eyes.

The psychopathic smile he wears lines up perfectly with the murder in his eyes, and Cryptor manages to get a coherent thought out in the ensuing pain.

He fucked up.

He fucked up **_bad_ **.

Hours and hours go by, and each momentary break, he’s always asked if he’d like to have Zane suffer instead, but the look on Kyle’s face always expresses that he wants Cryptor to say no so that he can keep torturing him.

And for once, Cryptor will gladly oblige.

Well. Maybe not gladly. It does hurt a lot. But he knows that Zane would hang on due to his self-scarifying nature, so he’s going to do the same.

Just because they’re friends now doesn’t mean that he’s not still better than him.

The pain returns, and any real thought goes out the window, his processors fully overtaken by the agony inflicted on them.

… maybe Cryptor should start thinking before he speaks.

{ { { { { { { { { { ~ } } } } } } } } } }

Sentry ignores the part of him that keeps screaming that he needs to find Cryptor. He knows where they’re keeping him now, thanks to the impulsiveness of the red ninja, but he can’t exactly break in- not without either getting captured or getting Dad in trouble.

Kai had gotten himself under house arrest for his attempt at breaking into a government facility that was almost a month and a half ago now- and he had also been sent several recordings of Zane being tortured.

But that doesn’t stop Sentry from wanting to break in and tear down walls until he gets his friend back- even knowing that it wouldn’t work.

Blinking, Sentry returns his focus to his job. He’s working right now, damn it- 

It’s an interview for an internship at Borg Industries, and he really needs to concentrate to make sure that he gets the best possible person.

Sentry glances back down at the resume. “Can you tell me your biggest weaknesses?” He prompts.

"I'm pretty susceptible, I'd say. If someone knows how to push my buttons, it's almost guaranteed I'll snap. But I'm working on it!" The candidate answers.

Acknowledging that he has a weakness and not trying to transform a false flaw into a secret strength is a good sign of maturity. 

Jotting that down as a note, Sentry nods. “I’m glad you can recognize things you need to work on.” The smile he gives is forced, not because he’s upset with the candidate, but more of how focused he still is on Cryptor.

No, he needs to focus. He’s **_working_ **. He can’t get distracted like this.

“How do your friends or people you know would describe you?” Sentry asks, fighting to keep himself on topic.

"Well, my old boss said I was hardworking and a valuable asset to the company, but that's probably because she likes me so much- We're like family to each other."

Nodding, Sentry makes another note. “Anyone else’s opinions come to mind?”

"I've been called a brat before, does that count? He didn't like me very much. Still don't think he does."

With a low chuckle, Sentry nods. “Fair enough. No one is liked by everyone.” He takes another note, but he finds himself thinking that this guy might be the best choice. He’s asked quite a few questions already, so he has only one or two left.

Then he can go sulk in his quarters about how he wants Cryptor back.

“What do you like to do outside of work?” He once again struggles to stay focused.

"Disassemble small electronic devices to study how they work. Robotics fascinates me! I did lose a toaster or two that way, though…" The way the candidate looks at him when he says it makes Sentry feel somewhat uneasy, but he can’t quite figure out why.

“And that’s all of my questions. Do you have any for the company?” 

"I do, actually. Do all of your androids use the same blueprints? I've seen quite a lot look similar to you. I wouldn't want to offend them by asking directly."

A small laugh escapes him as he’s temporarily drawn back from his concern. “None of us would be offended. But yes, we all share the same design- except for me. As the general of the nindroids, it’s important for me to have a few differences that allow me to lead better. Would you like to know anything else?”

"No, thank you. Think I know just enough for now."

With a nod, Sentry smiles. “Thank you for applying. The company will get back to you shortly.”

As the candidate starts to leave, Sentry suddenly realizes that he placed the resume in the wrong pile when he was distracted.

“One more moment, please. Could you repeat your name for me?”

The blond pauses as he turns back to look at him, a smile on his face.

"Kyle,” he answers, looking almost as though the question has reminded of an old joke.

“The name's Kyle."


	15. Kai Gets A Timeout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Look! This chapter doesn’t even have that much angst!
> 
> ... note that that doesn’t mean there’s NO angst-

When finally taken back to the lockers, after thirty exhausting hours, Cryptor feels as though he’s on the verge of a forced shutdown. 

The damn brat had switched out with someone else, claiming something about an internship. And that had at least meant that the one hurting him no longer had a personal vendetta, but it was still painful.

Cryptor hates how close he had come to actually asking them to hurt Zane instead, but he didn’t. Though judging by the way the other looks when the two of them are put in the locker, they hurt him anyway.

_ DID THEY GIVE YOU A CHOICE TOO? _

Zane doesn’t answer for a moment, likely out of surprise or maybe exhaustion. 

_ I DIDNT GIVE IN _

Cryptor snorts. Of course he didn’t. He’s a self-sacrificing dumbass, and it had been that knowledge that had allowed Cryptor to hang on himself.

_ HOW LONG A BREAK DO YOU THINK WELL GET? _

It’s a morbid game, really, but the two of them had taken to guessing how long they would get before dragged out for testing or torture.

_ AT LEAST SIX HOURS WE WERE THERE FOR OVER A DAY _

Mulls over the words, Cryptor considers the idea. Zane’s probably right, but he feels like arguing. 

_ OR THEYLL WANT TO BEAT IT INTO US WITH A SHORTER ONE _

There’s a pause, and Cryptor takes a moment to hate himself. Yes, start an argument with his one friend, that’s a  **_wonderful_ ** idea.

_ IS SOMEONE HAVING A BAD DAY? _

Cryptor snorts. Good, Zane can tell when he’s only pretending to argue. Probably picked that up from his teammates.

_ WHAT DO YOU THINK? _

The friendly banter continues for a while, but Cryptor can eventually feel himself shutting down from exhaustion.

He taps out a goodbye and a quick explanation before falling asleep, hoping- but not expecting- that they’ll get today off.

{ { { { { { { { { { ~ } } } } } } } } } }

Jay is starting to lose his grip.

Kai had gotten himself under house arrest by breaking into the government building- which he neglected to tell them the location of before doing so- and since they live on the Bounty, they’re stuck grounded so that the police can make sure that Kai’s not leaving.

Also he’s been sulking the whole time.

It’s already been almost two months, but he still has another four left, and everyone on the ship is going crazy from it.

“I am  **_this close_ ** to renting a hotel until his house arrest is over.” Nya holds up her hand so that her pointer finger and thumb are almost touching.

Cole sighs, shaking his head. “I’d join you, but at this point I’m scared of leaving him unsupervised.”

Jay laughs a little. “Honestly, what could he do that’s worse than what he’s already done?”

The two immediately snap over to looking at him.

“Are you  **_trying_ ** to jinx it?!” Cole groans. “You know full well how crazy he can get when it comes to protecting us.”

Wincing, Jay accepts the point. “That’s fair. But I doubt he would-“

Lloyd comes running into the room. “Kai left the ship. He tied his house arrest bracelet to the roomba so it would move, and I don’t know where he went.”

Jay blinks. “I stand corrected.”

Then they’re all scrambling to their feet, rushing off to try and find the dumbass hot head that is Kai.

Cole runs outside, probably off to go look at his usual hiding places- he’s run off before, but never under  **_house arrest_ ** .

Nya goes to her computer, most likely going to try and track his phone- that’s her usual go-to for when one of them goes off to do something stupid.

He’s not entirely sure where Lloyd’s going, but he probably has some kind of plan.

But before Jay has the chance to come up with his own, his BorgPhone rings with a number that he doesn’t recognize.

A flash of fear takes over him. Oh, Kai better not have gotten captured. What happens if he has? They might hurt him, he might go to prison, he could get into all kinds of trouble!

With shaky hands, Jay hits accept and holds the phone up to his ear.

“Hey, this is Jay Walker. Who is this and how have I ruined your life?” Somehow, he manages to keep his voice from shaking.

“It’s more of your boyfriend who’s doing that.” Sentry grumbles. “I found Kai sneaking into Borg Tower- he was trying to find more hints of ways to rescue Zane. Please come and get him before he gets caught- I shoved him in a back room to keep people from finding him, but he’ll probably find a way out pretty soon.”

Jay curses softly. “Of course he did. Okay, I’m on my way.” He starts to head out even as he speaks, silently complaining about how reckless his boyfriend can be. He loves him, he really does, but sometimes- like now- he really wants to slap him.

It takes him around fifteen minutes to make it to Borg Tower, and when he steps inside, Sentry is standing right next to the door. 

“He escapes from the room, so I put him in the timeout corner. He’s handcuffed to the wall, but I’m pretty sure that-“

Jay blinks a few times. “Wh- why do you have a timeout corner? And why does it have  **_handcuffs_ ** ?”

Sighing, Sentry shakes his head. “The white nindroids were created recently and are pretty immature,” he explains, “so a timeout is a pretty effective way to get them to behave. The handcuffs are for when they still don’t listen- now come on, we should hurry before he finds a way out.”

So Jay lets the nindroid lead him through the tower, trying to stop the way he’s nervously jittering. It- it’ll be fine, it’ll be totally and completely fi-

They come into a back room where Kai is in a chair and in handcuffs that are attached to the wall, forcing his hands above his head.

Jay glances over at Sentry. “Uh-“

“We have two timeout corners. This one is for the nindroids who cause trouble repeatedly. Or in this case, the  **_ninja_ ** who does that.” He glares at Kai, but the red ninja looks utterly unapologetic.

“I need to rescue Zane. And you didn’t have to call someone to pick me up, I’m not some  **_child_ ** in a school’s principal’s office.” Kai huffs, shifting in his bonds.

Jay starts to try and tell him that he’s totally acting like he’s just got his parents called in an office, but Sentry shakes his head, and speaks up. 

“There’s a back door you can take him out so that he doesn’t get caught, but keep a better handle on him next time. We really don’t need him getting an actual prison sentence.”

Glancing at his boyfriend, Jay thinks for a moment, trying to figure out if he’d actually be able to get Kai out of here without being seen.

“I’m going to call Cole,” he decides, “he’ll be able to carry him out of here.”

“I can walk!” Kai protests, looking betrayed. “I don’t need to be  **_carried_ ** -“

Sentry nods. “Probably a good idea. He might put up a fight on the way out.”

“I can hear you, you know! I’m  **_right here_ ** .” Kai sounds annoyed and frustrated, and Jay sighs, feeling himself cave a little.

“It’s okay, Fire-Hazard. I’ll talk Nya out of murdering you, so long as you promise to actually stay on the ship this time.”

At his words, Kai pales a little. It’s clear he hadn’t thought about how his sister would react to him running off.

“I’ll behave.” He grumbles, clearly unhappy about it. “But I can’t just do nothing.”

With a start, Jay realizes that he’s right. The reason that he keeps doing stupid things is because he needs to be doing something to help- if he doesn’t, he’s going to feel like he’s failing Zane.

So they need to come up with something that he could work on, some way he could get them closer to freeing him.

Maybe if he was working on part of the plan… 

Jay looks over at Sentry. “We’re looking for legal loopholes right now, right? Could he help you try and find some? From the computer on the ship, I mean.”

Kai perks up a little, and Sentry looks like he’s considering the idea. 

“Will that keep him out of trouble?” He sounds hesitant, but Jay quickly nods.

“He just wants to help, give him a way to do that and he’ll be fine.”

The nindroid looks over at Kai. “Is he seriously going to be able to look through legal documents for longer than thirty seconds?” He sounds unamused, but he pauses again when he sees Kai’s determined expression.

“I looked through a ton of them to break in. I’ll do whatever it takes to get him out.”

After hesitating for only a moment longer, Sentry nods. “Alright,” he agrees, “I’ll send over some I haven’t gotten to yet.”

So Jay ends up only calling Cole so that he can let the others know that Jay found him, and Kai actually walks back without putting up a fuss.

It takes a bit of work to get him on the ship stealthily enough so that any potential cameras couldn’t see, but they manage it.

However, when they step onto the bridge, the three others look annoyed beyond belief.

After a pause, Kai chuckles nervously. “On a scale of one to ten, how much trouble am I in?”

“Eleven.” Nya’s smile expresses anything but happiness, and Cole and Lloyd look only slightly less upset.

Somehow, Jay manages to uphold his promise, talking Nya out of giving Kai some five hour lecture that would probably make him regret existing.

Lloyd grabs Stabby and re-attaches the house arrest bracelet, and it’s not long after that the red ninja is in front of the computer, having about seven files open that he’s comparing and researching.

Later, Cole comes up to him. “The research thing was good thinking; it’ll keep him distracted while still allowing him to help.”

Jay flashes him a smile. “What can I say? I actually have good ideas sometimes.”

Cole smirks. “That’s debatable.”

“You literally just told me that I had a good idea.” Jay reminds with his own grin.

With an overly thoughtful expression, Cole strokes his chin. “Did I? I don’t remember that.”

“Wow, and here I was with the idea that elephants never forget.” Jay snarks back, barely containing his snickers.

Mock gasping, Cole puts a hand over his chest. But as he starts to teasingly reply, his smile fades, and he looks down.

“... Zane loved mock arguments.” He murmurs softly, pain suddenly written on his face.

Jay feels his own cheerfulness drain a little. “It took a while to teach him how, but he got pretty good at them.” He quietly agrees as he remembers the difficulty Zane had used to have with humor.

“He got pretty good at them though.” Cole’s smile is more pained now, but it’s there.

With a soft chuckle, Jay nods. “Absolutely trashed us with them.”

But then the emotions are over taking him, and Jay feels himself shaking at the thought of his titanium boyfriend. Who knows what they’re doing to him, from Kai’s recount they’ve been outright  **_torturing_ ** him, he-

Cole puts a hand on his shoulder. “It’ll be okay.” He speaks softly, and his voice is uncertain, as though he’s not really sure of himself, even though it sounds like he’s trying to keep it steady.

Jay nods weakly, feeling tears burn at the back of his eyes. “It’ll be okay.” He repeats softly, desperately trying to believe the words.

In the end, Cole has to coax both him and Kai into bed with gentle reassurances and promises that he sounds slightly unsure of, but at this point, Jay’s too desperate to think about how he might be wrong.

He just wants Zane back… is that really too much to ask for?

Apparently, because it doesn’t seem that they’ll be getting him back anytime soon.

That night, even when cuddled in the arms of his other boyfriends, he cries himself to sleep.

Zane will be okay. He  **_has_ ** to be okay. 

Jay won’t be able to take it if he’s not.


	16. Did He Just Say...?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is super short but packs a punch (I hope)

Zane is not okay.

It’s been six months, and they’ve taken to using illusions of his family harming him more often. Even though he is well aware that they are not truly the ones he loves, the sight and feeling of them being the ones causing his torment is beginning to wear on him.

“Still screaming?” The false Jay shakes his head. “It’s not even that much lightning, you should be handling this fine- or you could be, if you weren’t so **_pathetic_ **.”

Zane grinds his teeth, looking down as he reminds himself once again that this is not really one he loves. 

“Not going to say anything? C’mon, you could at least humor me here. We tease each other all the time, stop being so sensitive.”

“This is not teasing,” Zane chokes out as he does everything in his power to prevent more screams from escaping, “this is torture. And even if the ones I love taunt each other at times, you are not truly Jay, and I do **_not_ ** tolerate others-“

He’s cut off by his own scream of pain as electricity rips through him, bubbling beneath his playing, ripping through his body, sharp burning that wracks through every part of him, the unexplainable **_agony_ ** that floods his sensors.

When finally given the chance to breathe, he’s sobbing, sobbing without tears, another thing about him that is a constant reminder of the fact that he’s not human.

“All you have to do is say it. Just tell me that you’re lesser and use my proper title to you- the title that **_any_ ** human has over you. Then the pain will go away! It’s that easy!” The faux Jay chirps, seeming rather happy with himself.

Zane strains to hold onto himself, he’s given in too many times, he needs to hold on.

“Snowflake, it’s not that hard. Just tell me what I want to hear.”

Shaking his head, Zane grinds his teeth to prevent another scream from escaping him as the electricity levels rise once again.

When it goes down again, he’s asked the same question, given the same demand. When he refuses to do so, the shocks start once again.

Hours pass, and Zane finds himself slowly losing his grip. He’s given in twenty-four times, he can’t do it again. He cannot lose any more ground!

Every moment is its own torment- when the shocks are up, the physical pain is unbearable. When he’s given a reprieve, the words that the imitation speaks haunt him. When he has a break from both, all that runs through his mind is how much he wants to surrender.

“Frosty, c’mon. You know what you have to do.” Pseudo Jay coaxes, a friendly smile on his face as he tones down the shocks.

Zane tries to resist, he really does, but in the end… he’s just **_not good enough_ **. 

“Master, being a nindroid means that I’m lesser. Please allow me to return to my locker.” 

His voice is robotic, monotone. There’s no life to it as he lowers his head, unable to make eye contact. 

“Perfect! See, I’ll have someone take you back now. Thanks, Snowflake. You did great.”

Zane keeps his head down as he’s returned to his locker, knowing that he’s lost his remaining dignity. It takes everything he has to not sob as he’s roughly shoved inside.

He takes a few moments to think about his situation, to think about what’s happened to him.

He’s tried to resist, he’s tried so hard to keep himself together.

Giving in makes them stop for a while… but he knows that in the long run, that will only hurt him more.

It will hold itself together- no matter what torment they come up with.

Wait… did he just say… 

It?


	17. The Damn Brat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to ablackswansweet on tumblr for her help in this chapter!! Kyle is basically her OC at this point and I need her help with almost everything he does lol

Upon realizing that he had slipped up and thought the way they had wanted him to, Zane redoubled his efforts at resisting.

He cannot fall victim to their lies. He must stay strong. His team is coming for him, it- it has been over six months, yes, but surely they will be here soon. They have not- they would not give up on him, it- they will come for him soon. He only has to hold on a little longer, yes, just a little longer, and then they’ll take him home, back home, back where he is loved and cared for.

Just a little longer.

He can last a little longer.

_ YOU OKAY? _

Zane feels himself shaking, unable to honestly answer the question. He had not told Cryptor of the way he had internally referred to himself as an ‘it’, and he doesn’t plan to. Saying it aloud… acknowledging what he had done seems to make it more real. He would confirm that he is giving into their desires, he would no longer be able to ignore what is staring him in the face.

_ YES _

It’s a lie, plain and simple. Zane is not okay, and he will one day have to come to terms with this fact.

But today is not that day. 

Today, he will allow himself the luxury of ignorance.

Today, he holds onto a non-existent shred of dignity.

Today, he lets himself believe in the lie that everything is okay.

That lie is all he has left.

{ { { { { { { { { { ~ } } } } } } } } } }

Cryptor can see through Zane easily. Maybe it’s because he was based on his design, but he’s always known the white ninja better than he’d care to admit.

Zane is not okay, no matter what he says. At this point, it seems like he’s trying to convince himself more than Cryptor.

And that’s a bad sign. A very,  **_very_ ** bad sign.

It seems that he’s resisting more, at least- it’s taking longer before they bring him back to the locker, so he must be putting up a fight.

But Cryptor finds himself worrying that it’s more of an extinction burst, a large amount of effort and defiance that happens just before he falls into learned helplessness. 

He can’t lose Zane, he- he  **_can’t_ ** . At this point, Zane is all he has left. 

If he breaks, Cryptor won’t be far behind.

Every day is longer than the one before. It takes every ounce of effort and strength he has to prevent himself from giving in.

But he manages to keep a grip, to hold onto his sanity. He’s going to be fine, he’ll hold out as long as he needs to.

Because this won’t be how it ends. This won’t be how he goes out. He  **_refuses_ ** to let himself be brought down, not here, not like this.

If he loses, it’ll be in battle, they will have to take him apart piece by oil-soaked piece. 

He still has his dignity, damn it, and that’s one thing that they will  **_never_ ** take from him. He might lose it at times, but he won’t give up entirely. 

Cryptor isn’t a ninja. He never had been, and doesn’t want to be.

But he will never quit.

That is one thing that him and Zane have in common.

At least… something they  **_had_ ** in common.

Now? Now, Cryptor’s not so sure. Zane isn’t quite right anymore. Zane isn’t… he doesn’t seem very  **_Zane_ ** , as strange as it sounds.

He’s started to lose himself, started to succumb to the whims of their captors.

Cryptor can only hope that he’ll be able to hang on.

Because as much as he doesn’t want to admit it, Cryptor is  **_scared_ ** . Terrified, actually.

Terrified of their captors.

Terrified of losing Zane.

Terrified of being alone again.

He can’t… he can’t handle being alone again.

Closing his eyes, he realizes that the days he has left are numbered. It’s only so long until Zane breaks.

And when he does, he’ll take Cryptor with him.

Because he can’t handle being alone again. And if the only way to avoid that is becoming their pawn… 

Then so be it.

{ { { { { { { { { { ~ } } } } } } } } } }

Sentry looks over at Kyle, who seems deep in thought as he stares at the blueprint for the way the neural net connects to different gears.

“You don’t need to memorize it or anything, you’re mostly just going to be working on some simple mechanisms for now.”

“No I know I don’t need to memorize it, but I was thinking about, maybe, a different design? You know, when you connect the gear mechanisms to the CPU, you should run them through the sensors first. That way it would let a nindroid feel more subtle things, and improve their sensory abilities.”

Blinking a few times, Sentry looks back at the blueprints, comparing the new design idea to the existing one.

“That’s… actually a good idea.” He looks back over at Kyle, impressed with the line of thought. “Granted, feeling things more intensely might cause pain if not regulated properly, but it would be easy enough for them to learn.” While the second part is more to himself than Kyle, the blond seems amused by it, chuckling to himself.

He then mumbles something under his breath that Sentry can’t quite make out, but he elects to ignore it- if Kyle wants him to hear, he’ll speak up. If not, it’s none of his business.

Taking another moment to think on how the different wires might connect, Sentry pulls up a blank blueprint on the screen.

“Could you show me your idea here? A visual model would be helpful.” It’s interesting how quickly Kyle had come up with the idea- it’s almost like he had prior knowledge about how nindroid systems work.

"Yeah sure, give me a minute. I'm just moving this here and…"

Kyle’s nose scrunches up in concentration and he carefully alters the digital blueprint, rearranging the location of the wires and how they connect.

Frowning, Sentry watches the way the wires cross. “Is there enough space to connect things? That looks like it might be painful if put that way.”

Kyle blinks, glancing back over at Sentry. 

"Oh! My bad. Made a mistake, don't worry. We wouldn't want to hurt them, now would we?" For a moment, Sentry could swear that there’s a flicker of a smile, a smile that makes him uneasy. But that expression wouldn’t seem to fit what he knows of Kyle, so he shakes his head, brushing it off.

Still, something about the way the words are phrased and spoken puts him on edge. He feels like there’s something he’s missing, but he can’t quite put his finger on what it is.

“No, we wouldn’t.” He agrees, ignoring the feeling. He’s only tense because he’s stressing about Cryptor, that’s all it is. He needs to stop reading into it so much; he has a job and he can’t get distracted so easily.

Kyle fixes the arrangement of the wires before turning back to Sentry with a blinding smile, nothing like the unnerving one that he had though he’d seen.

"Okay, all done! What's next, sir?"

Shaking his head, Sentry gives his own gentle smile. “Just Sentry is fine. And now I think I’ll run this by Dad and see what he thinks about it. Feel free to look around at the other systems while I do.”

"Don't need to tell me twice."

While the response is kind of odd, Sentry ignores the unfounded worry and copies the blueprints to his internal files, heading off to go find Cyrus.

There’s nothing to be worried about. It’s  **_fine_ ** . 

There- there’s nothing to be worried about. It’s all in his head.

Sentry once again pushes the thoughts from his mind as he steps into the elevator.

Kyle is just an intern. There’s no reason that Sentry should be worried about him.

Still. Maybe a quick background check wouldn’t hurt… 

{ { { { { { { { { { ~ } } } } } } } } } }

The damn brat is trying to start up another conversation with him, but Cryptor really doesn’t care about anything he has to say.

"Hey General, you'll never guess what Sentry showed me." Kyle chirps.

Okay. He’s got his attention. “Wh- what  **_who_ ** showed you?” A moment too late, Cryptor realizes that he should’ve kept the fear out of his voice.

The blond raises an eyebrow in interest. "The nindroid general, all in white. You must know it, right?" 

Cryptor shifts in his bonds as he looks away. “We- we’ve met.” He admits.

"Met, huh. Like Original and its ‘friends’ met?" The amusement in his voice makes Cryptor bristle in annoyance.

“ **_What_ ** ?! No!” The way his power source heats up refutes his claims, but Cryptor is hoping that Kyle doesn’t notice that.

So maybe he likes Sentry as more than a friend. It doesn’t matter. The other doesn’t like him like that, anyway. 

If he really did, he would’ve come to rescue him by now.

"Ow. You're no fun," he says, mockery and mischief in his voice.

Sighing, the nindroid gives in. “... what did he show y- wait.” Sudden fear sets into him. “H- how do you know him?! What did you do?!”

"Calm down, it's not like you personally know the guy, it's not important for you to know how I know it..." It's clear the blond is trying to make him admit something. His choice of words seems very deliberate.

“I- you- that's not…” Cryptor groans, giving in. “Okay,  **_fine_ ** , I know him. Now  **_what did you do_ ** ?” 

"Know it how?" He insists, not satisfied with Cryptor's answers.

There’s no getting out of this, is there? Looking down, he speaks up. “He- he saved my life. I owe him.” He admits, choosing not to mention the time they had spent together after the white nindroid had let him stay at Borg Tower.

A low, dangerous chuckle escapes the brat. "I wonder how it'd feel if it knew how useless that was, with you wasting that life here-" His smile grows even wider with each word.

“It’s not like I came here intentionally!” The nindroid snaps, glaring sharply. Does this brat seriously think he can shift the blame onto Cryptor? He’s not  **_stupid_ ** .

"And yet the result is the same," he sighs in annoyance. Then, his eyes light up. A terribly unsettling shine, like the sparks of a match before a forest fire. "Oh, I wonder how Martha would like another test subject soon!"

Cryptor feels himself tense up.“ **_Don’t_ ** .” He growls out.

The blond doesn't even seem fazed by his threats. "What if we released you in its place? We don't  **_really_ ** need three subjects," he admits.

Cryptor feels unease take over him. He- he wouldn’t want Sentry to be stuck here- never in a million years- and he knows that any promise of freedom is a lie, but he… he doesn’t want to be stuck here anymore. He doesn’t want to be  **_hurt_ ** anymore. 

“I…” He trails off for a moment before managing to continue. “…that… you can’t…”

"Is the heartless and snarky General growing a liking to someone other than itself? Now that's interesting." He sounds amused again. It's really all just a sick game to him.

“Don’t. You can’t just…” Cryptor grits his teeth. “I- I have emotions. You should know this by now. But just because I feel things doesn’t mean I’m attached like **_that_ ** .”

"Then you shouldn't mind if Sentry went missing for a few days." The boy eyes him from the side. "I mean, you don't like it like that, anyways."

He gives his best passive-aggressive smile- or he tries to, before silently cursing at his lack of a faceplate.“You can have friends without romance. Also,  **_fuck you_ ** .”

A sharp snicker escapes Kyle. "Always a pleasure talking to you, asshole." He breathes out, then stretches a little. "Anyways… I'm gonna go meet it- uh, him."

Sudden panic washes over him as he stares at the blond. “Don’t- you- you can’t bring him here! Don’t you dare  **_touch_ ** him!” He snarls out.

Kyle’s signature psychopathic expression appears on his face. "Oh but I can, I will and I'll dare if it elicits this type of fun reactions out of you." He laughs before heading for the exit. "Bye, don't miss me too much!" He says mockingly, dramatically blowing him a kiss.

“Hey!” Cryptor shouts after him, mind racing as he struggles to figure out what in the name of the FSM he could possibly do in this situation. “Hey, you-  **_come back here_ ** ! You can’t-“

The voice becomes less and less audible. He can barely make out what the brat yells at him from the hallway. "I'm not listening! I can't hear you anymore! I'm under a tunnel or whatever-"

“No, I- you can’t- that’s not…” Cryptor hesitates as he realizes what he has to do. The only thing he  **_can_ ** do that even stands a chance of working.

“I- Master,  **_please_ ** ! Hurt me! Leave him alone!”

A pause.

Then sounds of running footsteps echoing in the empty spaces get closer. Kyle's head appears at the entrance, a shiny smile on his face. "You called?" 

Cryptor struggles to hold onto his pride, to his dignity- but he can’t. He can’t let Sentry get hurt. 

“I… M- Master, please, don’t hurt him. Hurt- hurt me instead.” The words are breathed out softly; Cryptor being unable to hold onto his cocky facade. If he had tear ducts, his eyes would likely be watering.

A soft smile replaces the boy's previous expression. He seems… satisfied. That's a first. "Well, I can't say no to you when you beg like that." His finger lightly tapping on his cheek shows he's thinking as he slowly speaks. "And the looming threat of it getting hurt is enough pain on its own for you today, I suppose…"

“I… look, whatever you want.” Cryptor gives in, hating himself for it. “Just… don’t hurt him.”

"Behave and I'll think about it." Kyle's tone is hard, but not mean like before. It looks like he calmed down a little.

“I- I can’t… I…” He’s trembling, he’s shaking so much, but he looks down, admitting defeat. But still, his voice is nothing more than a whisper as he does. “I’ll… I’ll behave.” He breathes out weakly, hating the way he’s forced to let the brat win.

"Good. It'll be safe for as long as you don't cause trouble, alright?" The blond bends down to Cryptor's level, hostility seemingly gone for now. "I kinda like it. Don't make me hurt it." 

Cryptor can’t bring himself to look him in the eyes. “I… I won’t cause trouble.” He whispers. “Just… just don’t hurt him.”

Kyle’s laughter is gentle, but it still stings.

They’ve figured out how to get to him, figured out his weakness.

Cryptor feels himself trembling, on the brink of beginning to cry.

He knows that they’ll use this against him. He knows that they’ll use this to  **_break him_ ** .

But for Sentry… 

He’s willing to break.


	18. “No.”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (:

Zane is mildly confused.

They have started replacing some of his sessions in the training room with a different activity. Rather than being forced to speak the demeaning words, he’s made to do simple tasks, such as moving a book from one side of the room to the other, or solving a puzzle meant for children.

Like with the training room, failure to comply results in punishment. But Zane is perplexed by the reasoning behind this. 

Perhaps it is a bad idea to follow the instructions he’s given, but the punishments are agonizing, and such simple tasks don’t seem to be causing any harm.

In all honesty, Zane much prefers the activity room to the training.

But the new room is not the only thing that has changed. Cryptor has been acting unusually, complying with little to no resistance. On the few occasions that he does cause trouble, it takes only a minor threat to make him behave- Zane isn’t quite sure what the threat is, either… something about an… internship?

It doesn’t matter. What matters is how Cryptor barely ever replies to his attempts at conversation and how he gives in without even one blast of pain.

They have also started taking Cryptor to the activity room, though from what Zane can tell, he is being given more complex tasks.

Today, Zane is once again taken to the activity room. Perhaps if he is lucky, they will have him stay here all day rather than taking him to the training room.

It is not very likely, but he can at least hope.

He is led to a table and instructed to sit, and he quickly does so. There’s a shuffled rubik's cube on the table, and Zane reaches for it.

White hot pain lashes through him, and Zane draws back with a shout of pain. He cringes and looks to one of the guards for an explanation of what he did wrong.

“You weren’t told to solve it yet.” Martha explains. Zane hadn’t noticed her standing nearby, and he internally groans. She is usually the strictest when it comes to…  **_everything_ ** .

But she has never scolded him for simply trying to do what he was expected to. Resisting the urge to snap back at her, Zane nods, waiting for instruction. The sooner they give orders, the sooner he can obey, and the sooner he can go back to his locker.

“Solve the puzzle.” Martha orders, authority in her tone.

Zane reaches for it and begins to do as instructed- yet less than five seconds later, he’s blasted with electricity. 

Sputtering, he nearly drops the cube. He looks over at Martha, waiting for an explanation.

“Not fast enough,” she shrugs, seeming to be hiding mild amusement.

Annoyance seeps through him. “My apologies, could  **_you_ ** do any better?” He snaps. “It is a Rubik’s cube, even the fastest person to solve one took a little longer that four seconds, and I, for one, do not spend my spare time teaching myself how to solve puzzles such as th-“

Pain flares through him again, and Zane grinds his teeth- and he really does drop the cube this time.

It lasts for longer this time- around a minute or so- and by the end, he’s a whimpering mess, trembling at shaking from the horrible dull throbs that encompasses his whole body.

When it fades, he glares at Martha, silently cursing his lack of a faceplate for the upteenth time. He has emotions he wishes to express! The lack of a way to nonverbally communicate is grating on his nerves.

“Solve the puzzle, Original.” She snaps, her voice firm.

Sighing internally, Zane picks up the puzzle. He had lost track of where in solving he was, so he will have to start over.

Once again, it is only a few seconds before he is blasted with pain, the feeling of razor sharp needles being jammed into his metallic outer coating.

A quiet cry of pain escapes him, though he tries to muffle it. He glares murder at the official, but she simply smiles.

“Not fast enough.” She repeats.

“I would be solving it much faster if you would stop harming me!” Zane retorts.

What in the name of the First Spinjitzu Master could they possibly be trying to accomplish here?! Solving a puzzle in a short period of time has no real purpose, so what could their goal be?! To torment him? They do that more than enough with logical reasoning!

He’s once again harmed for his rude response, and he feels white hot anger building up inside of him.

When it ends, he closes his eyes, taking a deep breath.

“ **_Solve the puzzle_ ** , Original.” Martha’s voice is low and dangerous, but Zane looks her dead in the eyes as he speaks.

“No.”

Her gaze darkens more. “Pardon?” There’s a very clear threat in her voice, but Zane doesn’t back down.

“I said  **_no_ ** .” He repeats the words in his best menacing tone, knowing full well that he will be hurt for his words.

And just as he is expecting, pain races through his body. But this time, Zane refuses to give her the satisfaction of a reaction. He stares her straight in the eyes as he clenches his jaw, withholding any real expression of misery. He does not whimper. He does not cry out.

He stares her down with as much malice as he can muster.

The pain increases, but he still ignores the pain, he will  **_not_ ** allow himself to show her how much he is hurt.

After a few agonizing minutes, the pain lessens, and Martha wears a rather annoyed expression that matches her annoyed tone.

“Do we need to go back to the sensory room?”

Zane tenses at the threat. They had not taken him back to the sensory room since his first real escape attempt, but he remembers it all too well.

Shakily, he picks up the puzzle.

And under the threat, he begins to follow orders once again.

{ { { { { { { { { { ~ } } } } } } } } } }

Kai is throwing everything he has into his research. 

They need to get Zane back as quickly as possible- who knows what he’s going through!

He knows that his house arrest has been broadcasted on every news channel, but everyone on the team has refused to answer any questions about it.

He’s tempted to go out onto the deck and while not leaving the ship, explain the situation, explain what the government had done.

But he can’t. If they explained to the public what was going on, the government would definitely make Zane pay for it. 

So Kai’s going to have to be known as the crazy ninja who breaks laws. He cares about how people think of him, but he cares about Zane more.

He’d have to be crazy to be willing to let him get hurt for something as stupid as his public image.

Opening another file, Kai begins to read through more rules of the legal system. He needs to find a loophole, a possible way for them to get Zane back.

It’s been over six months now, and it’s frustrating that they haven’t figured anything out. Kai’s throwing everything he can into his research, but it doesn’t seem to matter. He-

“How’s it going?” A voice speaks up from his computer.

Kai’s not really phased by the way his device is randomly hacked anymore. “It’s going.” He sighs, pulling up a new window. “How about you?”

“Not much better.” Sentry admits. “I keep getting pulled away by work, so I haven’t been able to make much progress.”

Kai sighs. “There’s got to be a better way to do this.” He grumbles.

“I’ve debated getting a lawyer, but I’m worried about how the government would react.” Sentry sighs. “They might retaliate by hurting them more, or even going after the person we hire.”

Groaning, Kai concedes the point. “So we just keep going like this?” 

“I don’t think there’s much else we can do.” Sentry admits.

Nodding, Kai goes back to his research, typing another idea into the search bar. 

No matter how tedious, no matter how difficult.

They’ll get him back.

**_No_ ** .  **_Matter_ ** .  **_What_ ** .


	19. Angy Cryptor Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once again Swan helped me with this she’s basically a co-creator at this point lol

Zane huffs out a weak breath, and it’s clear that he’s tiring from the way they’re hurting him. “I am equal to any human. This will not be changing any time soon.” Despite his obvious exhaustion, he still manages to sound strong and determined.

Shifting awkwardly, Cryptor glances over at Kyle. Apparently he’s been behaving well enough for them to take the chains off, but he still has no idea why the brat brought him to one of Zane’s training sessions.

Kyle seems surprised by the defiance, even a little amused. "I'm… Actually really surprised you'd say that now, after all the trouble you went through last time. Guess it's still not sinking in…”

Then he looks at Cryptor. “General?" He prompts.

Cryptor blinks. “What?”

He’s… actually not sure what Kyle wants from him, but he’s got a sinking feeling that says it’s not going to be good.

Kyle frowns, looking annoyed. "What do you mean, _'what'_? I thought it was obvious. Aren't you supposed to be a very high-quality AI?"

Cryptor grinds his teeth. “I **_am_ ** a high-quality AI. You didn’t exactly expl-“ He stops before finishing the rude remark. “I, uh. I didn’t quite understand you… Master.”

The title feels like fire on his tongue, but he forces it out, hating how often he’s had to use it recently. These fuckers aren’t his _‘Masters’-_ he’s his own person and doesn’t **_belong_ ** to anyone.

… if only the law agreed with him.

Shaking his head, Kyle sighs. "Can't believe I'll have to spell it out for you. You used to be more fun than that- Anyways, Original here is acting up. Again. So what you are going to do, like a good assistant, is punish it. Understood, now?"

Kyle’s slightly passive aggressive smile is unnerving, but it’s the furthest thing from his mind at the moment.

He wants Cryptor to be the one to hurt Zane? He wants him to hurt his **_friend_ **?

“I… I can’t… Kyl-“ He once again cuts himself off as he fumbles for words. “Master, I- I can’t do that. I can’t- **_no_ **.” He comes to his conclusion. “No, I won’t.”

Kyle’s expression darkens some, a clear threat in his tone as he speaks. "I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that. Are you defying a direct order from your Master, **_nindroid_ **?"

Opening his mouth to speak, Cryptor finds himself being cut off.

“If you are going to hurt me, do it yourself!” Zane snaps, a sharp edge to his tone as he seems to have regained some of his bearings. “Don’t bring him into this!”

With a scowl, Kyle looks over at Zane. "Shut up, scrap metal. Another peep from you or it and it's the sensory room.” He then turns his attention back to Cryptor.

“Now, General, last chance. Punish it now, or I'll take away the thing you're so desperate to protect that you'd give up your precious dignity." The threat in his tone is unmistakable, but all Cryptor can see is the fear on Zane’s face that he’s struggling to hide by pretending to be angry- though some of the anger is likely real.

Cryptor can’t think. He doesn’t know what to do here. He has to obey, he **_has_ **to, but… 

“I… that’s not…” He finds himself stumbling with his words just as much as he is in his mind. But after a few moments, he manages to come to a conclusion.

“I won’t hurt him.”

Kyle pulls out a remote, pushing some buttons. Only a few moments later, guards arrive, and he turns and addresses them. "Take Original to the sensory room. If it tries to break free, you're welcome to retain it. Painfully, if need be." 

The guards begin to obey, and Kyle mouths something to Zane that Cryptor can’t quite make out.

Still, the white ninja struggles. “Wh-“ He’s cut off as he’s roughly unchained and manhandled. “ **_Hey_ **! Stop it, I- let go of me!”

Panic begins to settle inside him. The **_sensory room_ **? They had only taken Cryptor there once, and only for a few hours, but it had been living hell. He can’t let them do that to Zane!

Still, he can’t do anything more than watch as they begin to drag Zane away. He once again finds himself fumbling for words. “Wa- wait, no, I- I didn’t-“ He turns to look at Kyle, still feeling fear flooding through him. “Hold on!”

Kyle only shrugs. "I warned you. Really hoped you'd be smart enough to listen."

Zane continues shouting as he’s forcibly pulled out of the room, the anger mixed with fear.

The fear makes way for shock. And shock makes way for anger. “I- you-“ He feels the rage burning deep inside of him as he glares at Kyle “That. Is. **_It_ **.”

No words can describe how good it feels when his fist collides with the damn brat’s face.

Kyle stumbles back, hand coming up to clutch at his bloody nose. The red stains make Cryptor feel satisfied, but the moment is ruined when Kyle starts… laughing.

He just got punched in the face, and he’s **_laughing_ **. Laughing maniacally, laughing like the insane jackass he is.

Rage still boils inside of him, and it only burns brighter at that, at the way he’s being **_mocked_ ** . “ **_Shut up_ ** ! Stop-“ He stops bothering with words as he tries to grab Kyle, to hold him down and pummel the **_shit_ ** out of him-

But the damn guards are back, and he’s being restrained, being held in place in front of the most infuriating person that Cryptor has ever met. “Let **_go_ ** of me!” He snarls. “ I’m not fucking finished with him!”

Kyle is still laughing, laughing like a fucking psychopathic sadist. "HAH! Guess you really didn't like him after all-" Once the words are out, he’s right back to cackling.

It suddenly registers in his head. What he had done. The reasoning for why he hadn’t done it sooner. What’s going to happen now that he did.

His words are only a soft whisper as he speaks, unable to speak louder due to the horror inside of him. “No- no, no, no, no- I…” He looks back at Kyle, who has finally caught his breath.

“W- wait, I-“

The smile he gets is cold-blooded and straight up **_murderous_ ** . "You. Shut your mouth. **_Now_ **.” He orders. He then pauses a moment before continuing. “I was being way too nice to you, apparently. Gave you ideas.” He shrugs. “Won't happen again.” Then he looks over at the guards. 

“Guys, tie it up and bring me… _you-know-what._ "

Cryptor could swear that his power source had shut off for a moment.

He opens his mouth to speak, but then shuts it fast enough that there’s an audible click. Kyle had told him to stop talking, and he’s not going to risk pissing him off more.

Feeling himself begin to tremble, Cryptor fights back the feeling of helplessness that builds inside of him. He doesn’t bother continuing to struggle.

It’s not worth it.

Kyle chuckles lowly. "Not very impressive now, General, huh? You won't stand up to a guy with a bloody nose?" His tone is mocking, and Cryptor grits his teeth. He looks down and squeezes his eyes shut tight, unable to look at the blond.

"You're so pathetic it makes me want to puke.” Kyle scoffs before addressing the guards. “Take it back to its locker so it can wait until we find him."

“Don’t-“ Cryptor cuts himself off as they begin to drag him away. He was ordered not to speak. And he has the implied order to not resist, so… 

He’s roughly shoved back into the locker- not that he would’ve tried to avoid going in- and the door is slammed shut in front of him.

Hopelessness.

That’s the only word that could even begin to describe what he’s feeling.

If he were human, tears would be pooling in his eyes. As it is, he can only just stop himself from beginning to sob without tears, doing the nindroid, non-human equivalent.

Because he’s not human. And he never will be.

“I… **_fuck_ **.” He mumbles the words to himself as he desperately tries to avoid breaking down completely.

He hears a weak, tired laugh escape him of its own accord as he closes his eyes, able to **_feel_ ** his strength draining from him.

“I really am pathetic…” 

He’s not sure how much time has passed by the time they bring Zane back, but it’s been at least six hours- a long time for the sensory room.

_I DI_

_DONT_

Cryptor cuts off whatever the hell he was going to say. He honestly couldn’t care less about what the white ninja has to say to him.

Nothing he could say would make a difference.

* * *

  
Cryptor doesn’t resist when he’s taken out of his locker. He doesn’t resist as he’s taken down the halls. He doesn’t resist when he’s chained down.

He doesn’t resist at all.

He doesn’t **_dare_ **.

Kyle is in the room, but Cryptor doesn’t risk doing anything more than looking down, silently pleading for mercy that he knows won’t be coming as the blond walks up to him. "I'm giving you permission to talk again. Don't make me regret that too."

He’s suddenly glad that he hadn’t tried to say anything. Keeping his head down, Cryptor forces out a set of apologetic words. “I won’t, Master. I’m- I’m sorry.”

There’s an annoyed sigh. "You're not sorry you misbehaved. You're sorry you have to live with the consequences.” Out of the corner of his eye, he can see the blond shaking his head. “Anyways, I'm hoping you understand why we brought you here."

Every gear and mechanism is suddenly locked as he struggles to keep ahold of himself. He looks up for a moment, and tries to find some way to defend his past actions for a moment… but only a moment.. “I- I di… yes, Master.” He looks down again.“I understand.”

"Good. At least that's out of the way." Kyle starts to walk around him, circling him like a predator around its prey. "Explain this to me, however. You were so, so desperate to make sure Sentry wouldn't get hurt a while ago. So what the **_fuck_ **-“ Kyle gestures at his bloody nose “-was that?" 

Shaking, Cryptor answers truthfully, his words quiet and, unfortunately, almost pitiful.

“I… I was angry. I wanted to protect Zane, and I was upset that I failed.” Cryptor cringes as he forces himself to continue. “I shouldn’t have done that, Master. It- it won’t happen again.” 

Kyle sounds slightly confused, but also kind of mocking, which balances it out pretty well. "You're not really what I'd call a hero, General. What made you think you could be one now?"

Feeling his head snap up, Cryptor answers without hesitation. “I’m not a hero. I never wanted to be. I…” his voice goes quiet again as he continues. “I made a friend. And I just… I wanted to be happy. I wanted- I wanted to **_feel okay_ ** again.” Rage once again washes over him as he continues, this time shouting. “I just wanted some sense of **_normal_ ** in this place!” 

Then he freezes. Everything is tense. Oh, he should **_not_** have done that, he should **_not_** have shouted-

The blond sighs. "Well, so much for that." He takes something out of one of his pockets at just the right angle to prevent Cryptor from seeing what it is.

Dread settles inside of him, but he tries to hide it, tries to pretend that maybe he still has some dignity. 

“Wh- what’s that?”

And apparently he doesn’t, because he sounds downright **_terrified_ ** when he speaks.

Kyle’s smile is once again one of the most terrifying things that Cryptor has ever seen. "I have a better question. Which piece of a nindroid's faceplate is harmless enough to remove while still causing a good amount of pain?"

Cryptor feels his eyes widen, staring in mute horror for a few moments before he manages to breath out a few quiet words.

“You- you **_didn’t_ **.”

The eye piece, the scope. Technically made to be a laser beam, but it has sensors in it- really **_sensitive_ ** ones, too.

The smile grows. "Judging by the look on your face, I'd say that you've got it. That's right, it's the scope!" The part is basically shoved in his face, and Cryptor flinches backwards.

Horror sets in every single wire and circuit he has as he stares at it. “I- you- he’s not…” 

The implications… no. **_No_ **, he didn’t… he couldn’t have… Sentry can’t be… he can’t… 

Cryptor manages to look up, to look Kyle in the eyes, to look at his Master. “He’s not- you didn’t…”

The blond is still smiling as he shrugs. "He's as alive as a machine can be… **_For now_ **. And I want you to fully understand that even if this is just a scope, we have the power to harvest much more delicate pieces, like, let's say…” He pauses dramatically, posing like he’s thinking.

Then he drops the act, and the smile is now a smirk. “ **_A power source._ **"

Cryptor doesn’t move. He doesn’t speak. He can barely even **_breathe_ ** . He at least had the reassurance that he’s not dead **_yet_ **, but… 

Kyle either doesn’t know or doesn’t care about his mental plight. "The other important thing that I want you to remember before you get ideas again is that you are **_completely responsible_ ** for Sentry's and Original's well-beings. If you misbehave or talk back like you did before…” He shrugs. “Well, you saw what happens. "

With a weak nod, Cryptor agrees. “I… I understand.” Dropping his gaze back down to the floor, he continues, confining his statement. “I’ll behave, Master.” 

He hesitates for a minute as he comes up with an idea. Not an idea of how to defy, but… an idea of how to obey. How to give him what he wants. What he demands from him. 

“I know that I am lesser, and I… I’ll act like it from now on.” 

The words taste disgusting in his mouth, but he speaks them anyway, knowing that that’s what Kyle would want to hear.

"Awesome.” Kyle smiles. “I'll have someone bring you back to your locker."

His next words are mumbled so softly that Cryptor can barely make them out.

“I almost feel bad for it, if only Original hadn't acted out first… This is its fault, really."

Cryptor feels everything in him tense. That- he- it’s not Zane’s fault, it… 

But isn’t it?

Anger, frustration, and fear are all building up inside of him as he lets himself be taken back to his locker.

_ARE YO_

Cryptor doesn’t wait for him to finish. 

_FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE TAKE A HINT AND SHUT YOUR MOUTH_

Thankfully, Zane doesn’t answer, and Cryptor takes the opportunity to activate his sleep mode.

But annoyance is suddenly added to the growing list of emotions as he realizes that he’s too worked up to go to sleep.

Grinding his teeth, Cryptor snaps at Zane again, feeling the upset whirlwind of feelings inside of him making him almost sick.

_THIS IS YOUR FAULT_

There’s a long pause before Zane answers, and for a moment, Cryptor feels even more annoyed as he wonders if he had gone to sleep.

_I KNOW_

He… **_what_ ** ? He just- okay, good, he knows that it’s his fault. At least he’s not trying to deny that he got them into this. If he would just **_behave_ ** and **_do what he’s told_ **, none of this would be-

_ILL_ _TALK TO YOU TOMORROW CRY_

Rage is still burning inside of him as he answers the white ninja.

_I WONT RESPOND_

_I DONT EXPECT YOU TO_

Wh- what does **_that_ ** mean? What kind of mind games is he playing here? Is he trying to **_trick_ **Cryptor into forgiving him? 

It takes hours before he can fall asleep.

And even then… all he has are nightmares.

{ { { { { { { { { { ~ } } } } } } } } } }

Kyle walks down the hall, not bothering to glance at the lockers as he goes by. Really, this was almost too easy. 3D printing a copy of the scope and using sensory manipulation to make it more realistic? Is that really all it takes?

Smiling to himself, Kyle heads off to Borg Tower.

He has an internship to get to.


	20. The Falcon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> See? I can be nice!

Zane looks up at Cryptor from his spot on the floor, gritting his teeth as he bites back a cutting remark.

“Look, just say you’re lesser. You don’t even have to call me Master; I’m not human. Just do it so we can go back to the lockers.” Cryptor sounds so tired, so resigned to his fate.

And that’s exactly why Zane cannot give in. Cryptor has begun to cave, and that means he can’t do the same. At least one of them must remain strong.

They had not even brought anyone to supervise, so confident in Cryptor’s willingness to behave that they felt that they didn’t need to have others around to ensure it.

“I won’t,” Zane makes eye contact as he speaks. “I won’t say it.”

Cryptor hits something on the remote, and the chains are abuzz with electricity, the power mimicking bone-crushing strength. 

He can’t stop himself from crying out, even as he tries to muffle it. When the pain lessens, he’s trembling. Unfortunately, Cryptor is heavy-handed with his punishments- something that Zane had not been expecting when they had begun.

“You don’t have to do this.” He knows that while his facial plate is gone, Cryptor will still be able to read the pleading expression he has. “Please, Cry, you-“

“My designation is General.” Cryptor interrupts. “And I do. I have to follow orders. Za-  **_Original_ ** , it’ll be easier if you do. Just… just do what you’re told, okay? It’s better this way.”

Zane shakes his head softly. “You know I can’t.” He returns quietly.

Cryptor sighs, looking down. Even without the face plate, there’s visible regret. “I know.” He agrees.

Then he shocks him again.

Straining in his bonds, he tries to get away from the crushing feeling, the heavy weight that he’s made to feel, the pain that runs through him.

When it’s lessened, he’s breathing heavily, silently pleading for it to be over, fighting the relentless urge to just surrender, to give in. Cryptor’s right, it would be so much easier… he could just be taken back to his locker, and-

Wait.

That’s it.

Shaking, Zane sucks in a deep breath, waiting for him to ask again. The odds of this working are low, but it just may play in his favor.

“Z- Original, you’re lesser. Admit to it.” Cryptor orders once again, still with that tired resignation in his voice.

Zane ducks his head. “I… I am lesser to humankind.” He agrees, trying to sound as pitiful and weak as possible. He has to hope that maybe, just maybe, he’ll have the right opportunity… 

Cryptor nods, walking over to him. He begins to undo the chains. “Thank you.” He softly murmurs.

And those words make this that much harder.

The moment the chains have been given enough slack, Zane grabs Cryptor and shoves him back with as much force as he can muster.

As the other stumbles, Zane kicks him in the chest, sending him skidding even farther backwards.

“Zane, what are you-?!” There’s shock and slight fear in Cryptor’s voice, but Zane doesn’t wait to hear all of what he’s saying.

He bolts.

Feet pounding against the tiled floor, Zane runs, he races through the halls as fast he can. After a minute, he slows, reminding himself of what he knows of the guards routines. 

A nagging voice in the back of his mind warns that this is most likely an illusion, but he ignores it. He can worry about that later, for now he should do his best to escape.

Every movement precise. Every step measured. Every breath quiet. Every action calculated.

It doesn’t take long for him to get lost. Internally cursing, Zane struggles to figure out where in the facility he is.

He manages to find some kind of control room, and he makes his way inside, relieved to find that no one is there.

Zane makes his way to a computer. What should he do? Should he look something up? Should he try to contact his teammates? Should he-

Wait.

From here, he can access the outside world, even through his head.

Zane searches for a signal, something he could latch onto. While they can trick his sensors, one thing unable to be manipulated is any form of connection he may make to the outside world. Connecting to the internet, to another device… that’s not something they could simulate.

Managing to connect to something isn’t nearly as difficult as it should be. In fact, it’s easier than most connections he made outside the facility. It’s almost like he’s connected to this bef-

Wait.

He knows this signal. 

Scrambling, Zane does everything he can to solidify it, to ensure that even once he leaves this room, he will still have access to it.

This is the way he will make it out. Access to this… he can make contact with his team. He can interact with the world. He can find a way out of this wretched place.

“Hello, my old friend.” He whispers, a spark of hope lighting up inside him. “It’s been a while.”

The Falcon caws as Zane stabilizes the connection. 

He connects his eyes to it, and he knows he would be near tears if he could truly cry. This is… this is  **_real_ ** . He can… he can really see the world again.

Quickly, Zane begins to calculate a way to make it out of the facility. If he’s careful, he may be able to-

Suddenly, he freezes.

He can’t leave.

He can’t… he can’t leave Cryptor here. Even if he makes it out, the other would still be trapped. He… he can’t escape. Not if it means leaving the other behind.

Carefully, Zane sneaks out of the room, feeling the hope still alive as he realizes that he’s still connected. 

Now, he must get re-captured. By Cryptor, of course- if he is also the one to find him, the punishment for losing him will likely be lessened.

Carefully, Zane creeps through the halls, looking for the other nindroid. When they are both inside the lockers, he will be able to connect Cryptor to the Falcon as well. From there, they will both be able to interact with the outside world. 

Zane can talk to his boyfriends.

Cryptor can talk to Sentry.

When he finds the other, Zane purposefully hits a foot against the tiles just a little too loudly.

He does put up a fight, but it’s more for show than anything. Just enough of an attempt to make it seem real.

When they are returned to the lockers, Zane begins to tap out a message- only to be interrupted by the other.

_ I HA _

_ NO _

Zane sighs. How can he help connect Cryptor to the Falcon if the other won’t listen? He would have to say something to get his attention… 

_ SENTRY _

There. That should do it.

_ WHAT? _

_ DO YOU WANT TO SEE HIM AGAIN? _

He can almost feel the anger radiating off of the other. This is clearly a touchy subject.

_ OF COURSE I DO BUT _

_ MY FALCON _

He doesn’t say anything more, but judging from the pause, Cryptor understands what he’s getting at.

Only a minute later, the other is connected.

Cryptor sends him a message- this time digital instead of tapping.

_ (‘Thank you’) _ Cryptor sounds grateful and almost like he’s about to cry.

Zane feels another spark of hope inside of him. This is it. This is how they will make their escape.

If he had a faceplate, Zane would be smiling as he replies.  _ (‘What are you waiting for?’) _

And so, the Falcon flies off.

Zane won’t lie… this is one of the first times he has felt truly happy in a long time.

And it’s the first time he can believe that everything will be okay.

{ { { { { { { { { { ~ } } } } } } } } } }

Sentry sighs, drumming his fingers against the table he sits at. 

He’s been working through these files for hours on end, and he’s still not any closer to finding a way to rescue Cryptor.

Biting his lip, he thinks back on the time they had spent together. The joy he had felt when they were friends, when they had just been able to  **_be_ ** without any problems.

With a groan, Sentry shakes his head. Why is he so worked up over this? There are injured nindroids that work for him that he should be more worried about, ones who didn’t try to destroy Ninjago.

Why does he care so much? Sure, they were friends, but even for that, this seems extreme. What could-

Wait.

Wait a minute.

What was Sentry feeling when they had been hanging out together? His power source had heated up. He had felt the need to impress him. He had spent all of his free time with him, even some times when he should’ve been working.

Those aren’t usually things people do for friends.

Is Sentry… is he… 

“I’m in love with Cryptor.” He breathes out, shock over taking him as he comes to the realization.

_ (‘Wait, you are?!’) _ There’s a sudden voice, catching him by surprise.

Sentry flinches, trying to find the source of the voice. It had come from…  **_inside his head_ ** ?

“Who are you? Why are you in my-  **_how_ ** are you in my head?!” He gets to his feet, looking around.

_ (‘It’s me. It’s Cryptor. Did you just say you were in love with me?’) _ The voice… does sound a lot like Cryptor. But how could it be? He can’t- how-

A new voice joins the conversation.  _ (‘Hello, Sentry. I don’t think we’ve spoken in person before, but I’m Zane. Cryptor and I are using my Falcon to hold a conversation outside of the facility where we are being kept.’) _

Looking around, Sentry spots a falcon on a nearby windowsill. Rushing over, he opens the window, allowing the bird inside.

_ (‘Forget about that, he just said he was in love with me!’) _ Cryptor sounds almost panicked, but… in a good way?

Sentry nods shakily. “Uh. Maybe? But how- you guys can- okay, I- I need to contact the ninja. This is- this is a big deal, I-“

_ (‘We can do that in a minute! You just said that you’re in love with me!’) _ Cryptor sounds happy now, and Sentry releases a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

“Do you, uh… feel the same?” It’s kind of odd, having a conversation like this while looking at a bird. But Sentry is still just as eager to hear the answer.

_ (‘Yes, I just didn’t think you did, I- wait. You’re not hurt.’) _

Sentry feels delighted at the beginning of the response, but then he frowns, a wave of confusion washing over him. “No? Why would I be?”

Even in the silence, he can tell that Cryptor is angry beyond belief. _ (‘No reason.’) _

Sentry makes eye contact with the Falcon, trying to show that he’s serious. “Cryptor, why-“

He doesn’t get to continue, however, because Zane cuts him off.

_ (‘Someone’s coming. We need to close the connection.’) _ His voice is urgent, and Sentry nods.

Someone’s coming, he says. Is that the kind of life they’ve been living? Surviving only on the whims of their captors, everything beyond their control?

He fights back a shudder. “I’ll talk to you later, then?” 

_ (‘Yeah, talk to you when we have the chance.’)  _ Cryptor agrees.

Then the quiet static that he hadn’t noticed fades, and he knows that they left.

The bird flies off, and Sentry takes a moment to watch it before returning to his work.

But this time, when he opens the files, there’s a smile on his face.

Sooner or later, the government will slip up.

And Sentry will bring them home.


	21. Helplessness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello yes I am evil

Unfortunately, even with the development of the Falcon, things aren’t much better.

See, Cryptor can’t let Kyle or any one know that he has access to the Falcon, so he has to just… keep on doing what he’s been doing. Following orders, being a pawn.

Still, he does have the relief of being able to easily talk to Zane and sometimes Sentry when in the sanctuary of the lockers. That makes things at least  **_somewhat_ ** more manageable.

But that doesn’t make this damn illusion of a maze any easier.

He’s clearly not supposed to know that it’s a simulation, but with the help of Zane’s Falcon, it’s ridiculously easy to tell that it is.

"Come on General, you can do it! You say you're smart, right? Prove it!" Kyle’s voice echoes through a speaker- or an illusion of one.

Cryptor grinds his teeth, fighting to prevent his emotions from showing. “I’ll try, Master.” He gets out, still trying to concentrate. You can solve a maze by sticking to the right wall… he thinks he saw that somewhere. 

He spends a few more minutes trying to figure out where he is before sighing, shaking his head. Did they purposefully make this to frustrate him? 

Knowing them, they probably did.

Groaning quietly, he starts to go back to solving the damn puzzle.

Then he pauses. What if he climbs the walls? If he gets above it, he could easily see where he’s supposed to go.

Granted, he’s probably not supposed to do that, but no one explicitly said he couldn’t, and it’s worth a shot.

So he turns to the wall and starts fumbling for a grip, trying to see if he can haul himself up.

Once again, Kyle’s annoying voice shows up. "Wouldn't try that if I were you-"

It takes everything Cryptor has to avoid snapping at him. Can this  **_brat_ ** just- 

A sudden electric shock from the wall sends him tumbling downwards, and he lands shakily, barely managing to keep his footing.

"Told you."

Pure rage is building up inside of him, but Cryptor forces it down, trying to keep a hold of himself. He can’t act up. He has to behave. Even if Sentry isn’t at stake anymore, his way of contacting him might be discovered.

He takes a deep breath as he steadies his footing. “You did, Master. I should have listened.”

Cryptor fucking hates his life. How did he even get into this?

Right. Pythor was legally his owner and the government accepted Cryptor as a bribe so that the damn snake could avoid prison.

Which was illegal, but no one really cared.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Kyle questions.

Cryptor tenses at the words. Is he supposed to actually answer that? What the hell should he say? 

“No thanks.”

Why. Why is he like this. What the **_fuck_** is wrong with him today? Or in general, really. He’s definitely got some issues.

Gee, maybe if he thinks real hard, he can come up with a reason why.

"Please reconsider?" He’s asking a question, but his tone implies that he’s not going to be taking no for an answer.

“What do my thoughts matter to you? You don’t-“ Cryptor cuts himself off. “I- I’m lesser, right? What I think and feel doesn’t matter.

The words are bile in his mouth. This really is how he lives now, huh? Just…  **_lesser_ ** . Forced to be whatever they want him to be.

… eh, life could be worse.

He could be Zane and be in a relationship with a bunch of idiots.

Kyle sounds slightly annoyed. "Doesn't matter if the thoughts aren't interesting. I wanna know, so tell me."

“Well my main thought here is how much I want to beat your face in, but I’m guessing that-“

He freezes, sudden realization hitting him as he processes what he was saying.

“Wait-“

"Alright." Kyle’s voice is calm, but there’s a darkness behind it, something that’s showing that he’s barely holding back some kind of angry response.

“I- I didn’t mean to say that, I- I’m sorry, I-“ Cryptor fumbles to find words, but Kyle doesn’t want for him to bullshit his way through an excuse.

"Nice try." Kyle’s voice is tight with annoyance, that rage still hidden behind it. "Too late, though."

Why does Cryptor keep doing this to himself? Really, he should know better by now.

“... I’m going to go out on a limb here and say I’m in trouble.”

"Look at that, you  **_are_ ** smart after all." Kyle’s voice is passive aggressive now; every time he speaks more and more of his emotion is bleeding through.

Cryptor curses quietly. “Don’t suppose I can talk my way out of it?”

"Because that worked so well five minutes ago, didn't it?" Yeah, Kyle’s definitely pissed off.

Wonderful.

“I- I’m gonna go back to solving the maze now.” 

Cryptor hates the fear in his voice, he hates how controlled he is by this damn  **_brat_ ** , but he is, and there’s nothing he can do about it, nothing but be a pawn in whatever game he’s playing.

At this point, the goal of the game seems to be to fuck up the pawns as much as possible.

So he goes back to the maze, silently debating the pros and cons of what would happen if he flipped off a camera.

He decides against it. He’s already in enough trouble.

Cryptor doesn’t say another word as he carefully does his best to solve the maze- and while it takes hours and hours and actually  **_the entire day_ ** \- he manages to make it out.

He looks over at a camera. “I’m not going to get to go back to my locker, am I?”

Even though it’s technically a question, there’s no doubt behind his words. He knows full well that he’s in trouble- and a lot of it, at that.

"Don't ask questions you know the answer to. Saves a lot of time." Kyle sounds almost indifferent now, but Cryptor knows that he’s still going to get hurt-  **_badly_ ** .

He forces a nod. “Yes, Master.” He agrees, waiting for the guards to drag him off to the room that he actually never left.

The damn sensory manipulation is really getting on his nerves.

When the illusion is lifted and he’s able to see how he’s chained down again, Cryptor doesn’t bother trying to look up and make eye contact with Kyle.

He’s in enough trouble as it is.

"I'm not really in the mood to joke with you right now, so I'll make it quick." Cryptor isn’t looking at him, but he can hear the annoyance and frustration in his voice.

Biting back a snarky remark, Cryptor nods, breathing out softly. The sooner this is over, the sooner he can go back to the locker. 

Before he gets the chance to blink, Kyle is suddenly in his face, grabbing him by the chin and forcing Cryptor to look him in the eyes.

"I'm starting to have enough of you.” He snarls lowly. “I'm the only reason you're not in pieces right now. Martha isn't at all fond of your…  **_Personality_ ** . And I might just end up agreeing with her."

Cryptor feels himself tense up at the words, shock and near terror overtaking him as he processes them.

He’s not sure what to say- is he even supposed to say anything? Should he apologize? Stay silent? What the hell is he supposed to do here?

After a moment, he opts to remain silent, wishing he actually had his face plate so that he could close his eyes and not have to keep looking into the malice filled blue ones that stare into him.

"I'm getting tired of this. So I'm saying it one. Last. Time. Don't talk back to me like we're friends. I can accept the snarky remarks, but you were out of line.  **_Way_ ** out. Either you correct your behaviour yourself or we have ways to make you. There won't be a next time. Nod if you got that."

Cryptor tries to ignore his terror as he mutely gives a shaky nod. He… 

He doesn’t want to die.

When Kyle lets go and steps back, Cryptor drops his gaze to the floor, his whole body trembling in the sheer terror flooding through him. He knows the blond well enough to realize that he’ll follow through on the threat.

He’s unchained and is taken from the room, but they don’t have to drag him- Cryptor doesn’t resist.

But as they reach the doorway, Kyle’s voice calls out after him.

"I  **_will_ ** break you,” he promises darkly, words dripping with venom.

"And you're going to  **_thank me_ ** for it."

Cryptor feels his terror increase tenfold as he tries to make sense of the words. Before he can even  **_begin_ ** to understand the true meaning behind the threat, he’s taken away, back to his locker.

The door is closed, but his mind is still racing, fear is still rushing through in every single wire and gear he has, and he feels almost nauseous- if it’s even possible for a nindroid to feel something so  **_human_ ** .

_ (“Cryptor? Are you okay?”) _ Zane’s voice questions, but Cryptor can’t think of a response, he can barely even hear his own thoughts.

_ (“Please, just… leave me alone.”) _ He sounds pitiful, weak,  **_pathetic_ ** . Just as worthless as he’s been told he is.

_ (“Cry, you can talk to me. I can hel-“) _

Cryptor sucks in a deep breath. _ (“No, I can’t. I wish I- it’s not…”)  _ He doesn’t have the words for the emotions tormenting him, he doesn’t have the words to describe the twisted feeling in his guts, he doesn’t know how to explain the sheer  **_helplessness_ ** that’s overtaking him.

_ (“Stop talking, Original.”) _

_ (“You weren’t given permission to speak.”) _

  
  



	22. “I Would Do It Again.”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Watch me beat canon to death with a stick lol

Kai slams open the door to the bridge. “I have a new idea!” He proclaims. “I’m going to become the Emperor.”

He receives a bunch of blank stares at his statement.

Finally, after a long pause, Nya speaks up. “You’re going to  **_what_ ** ?” She demands in disbelief.

He can feel the wide smile forming on his face. “There’s an election coming up, and I-“

“Since when is that an electable position?” Jay blinks, his confused expression so intense it’s almost comical.

Nya opens her mouth to answer, but Kai keeps talking. 

“Not sure, but it is. I did my research! Anyway, I’m going to become the Emperor and then order them to free Zane.” He explains. Honestly, he can’t believe they didn’t think of this sooner! The election is only seven months away, and it’s a great backup plan for if nothing else works.

Nya stares at him in shock. “I can’t even  **_begin_ ** to explain how horrible of an idea this is.”

“I mean… it  **_might_ ** work.” Jay defends. “There’s no harm in trying, right?”

“No. No, we are not doing this. Cole, Lloyd, back me up here.” Nya looks over at the two. 

Cole looks up from his phone. “I’m already filing out the forms.” 

“Wh-  **_no_ ** !” She stands up abruptly. “No, this is a horrible idea! Do you realize how many things could go wrong here? We could-“

“You’re right.” Jay conceeeds. “With his recent arrests, Kai isn’t the best choice for this.” He winces as he looks over at the brunet, and Kai grimaces as he accepts the point.

“It should be Lloyd.”

The green ninja snaps to attention. “ **_What_ ** ?” He demands. “I- you- you guys don’t want me to be in charge, I- I wouldn’t be a very good leader!”

Cole shrugs. “I mean, you kind of already are.” He points out.

Kai comes over and sits on the table in front of the blond. “Look, either you do it or I do. What do you say?”

Cringing, Lloyd seems to be weighing his options, ignoring the shocked and upset look Nya has.

“... alright. What paperwork do I need to fill out?”

{ { { { { { { { { { ~ } } } } } } } } } }

Zane grimaces as both he and Cryptor are taken to the training room. When both of them are brought, it means only bad things.

After being chained down, Zane recognizes Kyle standing there. With a glare, he decides to cut to the point.

“I’m not going to say it again.” He snarls. “I am  **_equal_ ** to any human.”

Kyle sighs, rolling his eyes. "Get off your high horse, Original. That's not why you're here."

From beside him, Cryptor seems to be thinking about speaking, but instead glances over at Zane.

Very well. He can do the speaking for the both of them- and as of now, that will be expressing his confusion.

“It’s… not?”

"No. You're here because…" He starts to circle them, surrounding them like a predator analyzing its prey for weaknesses, his cold tone matching the action. "...Because you two have been keeping secrets. From me, from the facility. Isn't that right?"

They- they have not discovered his Falcon, right? That- no. This must be bluff of some sort! And Zane will just have to call him on it.

Silently wishing he had a faceplate to allow him to better express himself, he sighs. “You monitor us day and night. What could you possibly think we’re doing?”

The sly smile Kyle gives him is unnerving. "I don't know, you're gonna tell me.  **_Aren't you, General?_ ** "

Cryptor suddenly tenses, and Zane looks over at him as his breathing picks up. The other nindroid is clearly scared, borderline  **_panicking_ ** .

“I…” Cryptor trails off, but Zane realizes that he should speak before Kyle manages to convince Cryptor to tell him what he wants to know.

Forcing confidence into his voice, he stares the blond down. “No one is telling you anything- because there isn’t anything to tell!”

Kyle seems almost amused. "Oh, really now?” He walks back over to Cryptor and taps on his eye scope, the action clearly a threat of some sort.

Zane internally winces at the way Cryptor horribly fails at hiding his fear and the way he flinches back. “We… it- it wasn’t… yes. Yes, Ma-“ He cringes, cutting himself off. “... we’re hiding something.” He miserably admits.

Wearing a sarcastic smile, Kyle looks back over to Zane. "Wow, didn't see that coming." He mocks.

Annoyance creeps into him as he glares at the other nindroid. “ **_Cryptor_ ** !” He quietly hisses out the name, staring in disbelief.

The blond shakes his head. "Not its name. It won't answer to that, anymore.”

Zane glowers at that, but Cryptor doesn’t deny it, which only serves to fuel his annoyance.

Kyle continues. “But what it  **_will_ ** answer to is this-“ He pauses a beat before dropping his voice into a dark threatening tone.

“ **_What are you hiding?_ ** " He snarls.

After hesitating a beat, Cryptor answers the blond. “... do I have to?” He tries weakly.

Kyle arches an eyebrow. "Depends, do you remember who's physical and mental integrity depends on you cooperating?"

Taking a deep breath, Cryptor seems to struggle for words. Finally, in a choked voice, he gets out, “You didn’t hurt him. You- you lied. He’s  **_fine._ ** ” 

A weak laugh escapes him as he ducks his head, and Zane frowns- or he  **_would_ ** , if he had his face- as he watches him. Still, Cryptor continues.

“And… I- I know that because we were hiding a way to-“

Sucking in a deep breath, Zane realizes that- that Cryptor is  **_actually_ ** going to tell him. He’s actually going to explain the Falcon?!

“No!” Zane interrupts him before he gets the chance to continue. “Cryptor, stop it!” He demands.

Still seeming amused, Kyle continues prompting the other into speaking. "A way to communicate, I presume. What might it be…?" He takes on an exaggerated thinking pose.

While his voice is shaking, Cryptor does try to answer him. “Zane has a-“

Panic taking over, Zane shouts out, “Do  **_not_ ** !”

Who knows what they’ll do to his Falcon if they capture him! Likely cause horrible harm, if not taking him apart!

The excitement Kyle shows is terrifying. "Do it!"

“He-has-a-Falcon-its-mechanical-we-can-connect-to-it-digitally-and-“ Cryptor speaks rapidly, getting the words out fast enough that Zane doesn’t have a chance to stop him. 

Fear sets into him once again. “ **_No_ ** , you can’t just…” he trails off. He can’t argue, not now that Cryptor has already told him.

"That's enough, General.” The blond gives a gentle smile. “Hush."

Zane glares at the other nindroid as he nods and lowers his head. He knows that Kyle had made some form of threat before, but this level of obedience? It’s absurd!

The blond paces around as he speaks to Cryptor, ignoring Zane for the moment. "Since you were pretty obedient today, you're not gonna get punished for this." He stops, staring menacingly at them. "But to follow what you told me about  **_him_ ** being fine- He's not hurt  **_yet._ ** And now that you won't be able to talk to him, you won't even know if he is."

Cryptor opens his mouth as if to speak, but seems to think better of it and looks away, pointedly avoiding Zane’s death glares.

He doesn’t have the words to describe the emotions building inside of him. Cryptor had- he had  **_told_ ** Kyle! And so easily! He had barely tried defying him at all!

The blond redirects his attention to Zane."And you…" He pauses a moment as he glare. " **_Congrats_ ** ."

Zane grinds his teeth, desperately trying to think of a way to divert Kyle’s attention and possibly save his Falcon. He can’t… while a simple design compared to him, that bird is all he has left of his father. He can’t let any harm come to him!

“Disconnect me, then.” He snaps. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll find another way, another plan. I am not your slave, not a mindless drone! I’m not this ‘Original’ that you try to make me. I am Zane Julien, the white ninja. And that, you will never take from me.”

Kyle arches an eyebrow. "...Nice speech.” He pauses a beat. “ **_I'm disassembling the Falcon._ ** "

Every circuit and wire he has is suddenly tensing up as he processes that. “What for?” He demands. “If I can’t connect to him, he poses no threat to you!”

"But you care for it, don't you?" Kyle smiles, an unnerving smile that carries a threat to it.

Zane can feel his power source heating up as he tries desperately to come up with a way to convince Kyle to leave him alone. “I- he’s a bird. That’s- that’s all.” 

He takes a moment to breath and think before continuing. “Leave him  **_out_ ** of this.” He snaps. “A- a bird is of no threat to you. Unless, of course, you and your organization is so  **_weak_ ** that something so simple could stand in your way.” 

Perhaps trying to bait someone as irritable as Kyle into becoming upset isn’t a good idea, but he’s hoping that maybe, just maybe, he can trick the blond into leaving the Falcon alone.

The blond snorts. "Uh-huh, yeah, I see that. But I raise you this. If it's truly 'just a bird', then you shouldn't be trying so hard to make me leave it alone. Why should you care if it's just a useless communication device?" There’s a taunt to his voice, but before Zane can think of a comeback, Cryptor is speaking.

The other nindroid’s voice is quiet and regretful. “His father made it, it’s all he has left of him.” He explains.

Zane can only stare. Why is Cryptor doing this?! He- Kyle did not even directly ask him about that! He had no reason to share that information! Now- now Kyle may-

A satisfied smile is on the blond’s face. "Now that changes everything. Congrats again, Original. You and General just won front row seats to the disassembling of your Falcon." 

Beside him, Cryptor tenses up. “Me too?” He seems surprised and afraid, but at the moment, Zane is too upset with him to care about his fear.

"Yep.” Kyle smirks. “Have fun."

Feeling himself trembling, Zane speaks up, desperately trying to find a way to stop Kyle… but coming up empty.

“W- wait!” He chokes out. “You can’t- no, no, you…” He’s trembling, knowing that he would be near tears if he were human, fear taking ahold of every gear and circuit he has as his voice starts to break with his words. “... please, don’t…” He trails off.

“Don’t hurt him.”

His voice is nothing more than a broken whisper.

The blond has the nerve to  **_laugh_ ** . "Why not?” He questions amusedly. “You clearly haven't learned your place, and this kind of punishment seemed to work on General. I don't see a single good reason why I shouldn't."

There’s a pause as Zane collects his thoughts.

His voice is quiet as he begins to speak. “Why not.” A weak, broken laugh escapes him. “Why not, you ask me.” 

He looks up from the floor in order to look Kyle in the eyes as he speaks, voice beginning to rise in volume. “I have a better question.” He spits out.

“What the hell do you  **_want from me_ ** ?!” He shouts out the words,  **_screaming_ ** them. “You take us here, you torture us, you try to convince us that we’re  **_lesser_ ** , and for what?! Revenge?” He laughs a little, feeling his patience, his  **_sanity_ ** , on the edge of breaking entirely. “This solves  **_nothing_ ** ! You fight fire with fire, you choose to cause suffering as though- as though that will bring back the ones you lost! I never meant to harm anyone! I was built to  **_protect_ ** ! And-“

Kyle’s voice is dangerous in a way that Zane has rarely heard, even in the voices of his most threatening opponents. "Shut the  **_FUCK UP._ ** " The blond demands.

Zane glares with as much malice as he can muster. “ **_No_ ** .” He snarls. “I wasn’t finished. You-“

"Close your fucking mouth.” Kyle snaps. “Was I not clear? You're asking me what I want from you, why I do all this? I'll tell you." 

Zane scoffs. “Please, do!”

"I **_hate you._** ” The blond says simply. “And I want you to **_suffer._** Yeah, it doesn't bring my lost ones back. But when I remember the terror on his face as he died **_in my goddamn arms,_** I feel really good about all this." His smile is threatening, a menacing expression that makes fear pool in his gut.

He stares for a moment, trying to figure out how to respond. What does he even  **_say_ ** to that?

“I’m sorry for your loss.”

He waits only a moment before continuing.

“But if put in the same position…” Zane stares Kyle dead in the eyes as he speaks. “ **_I would do it again_ ** . More lives were saved then lost, and I would have to be a fool to be willing to let so many suffer for  **_your_ ** sake. Because it was never about him, was it?” He scoffs. “It’s about  **_you_ ** . He’s not here anymore. What happens now has no effect on him. You use his death as an  **_excuse_ ** to cause misery. You-“

“Zane?” Cryptor mutters, catching his attention. “Shut the hell up.”

"...You killed him.” Kyle’s voice is quiet, but no less threatening. “You killed so many people. Maybe even as many as you saved. And you never faced any trial."

Zane shakes his head. “The Golden Master would have killed  **_everyone_ ** .” He argues. “I did what I had to do.”

He can feel Cryptor’s internal screaming at him, but he ignores the other in favor of staring down Kyle.

"What you had to do was to protect.” The blond snaps. “And you couldn't even do  **_that_ ** right."

He-  **_what_ ** ?

Zane finds himself struggling for words, attempting to find a way to defend himself. He- he knows that he had failed, in a way, by...

“I protected as many as I could!” He shoots back, trying to keep his voice steady. “I was willing to  **_die_ ** to protect those in danger!”

Kyle scoffs. "Being willing to die for something doesn't mean anything if you don't value your life enough to begin with. That's why you were the one to sacrifice yourself, right? You thought that, as an android, you were more expendable than your human teammates?" 

Fear takes a cold grip on him as he processes the words.

“I- I am not-“ With shock, Zane realizes that… he doesn’t have a good argument.

His voice is quiet as he tries to come up with one. “I am expendable because the others have more use. It- it is not because I am a nindroid, it’s…” 

He… doesn’t know what to say. How to defend himself. The- the others are more important than him, but- but that doesn’t mean that Zane is… that he’s… 

Kyle shakes his head. "For something to have more use than something else, that other thing must be lesser. It's just logic.” He shrugs. “You said it yourself."

Zane finds himself looking down at the floor, breathing ragged, as he tries to come up with a way to deny the words. “ **_No_ ** .” He chokes out. “No, that’s not what I…” He trails off, unsure of how to continue.

The smile he gets isn’t angry this time. No, it’s… almost  **_comforting_ ** . "Think about it, alright?” His voice is reassuring, soothing. “You can't argue against logic."

Zane can feel himself shaking, his voice quiet and near breaking as he tries to say otherwise. “I’m not lesser, I’m not, I’m- I’m equal, I…” 

Something seems to break inside of him as he realizes that it’s not Kyle that he’s trying to convince.

"Don't worry.” Kyle assures. “The confusion will be over soon." 

Wordlessly, Zane gives a weak nod, not even sure what he’s agreeing to. 

He’s not- not lesser, he’s just… sure, the others are more valuable, more skilled, more- more  **_everything_ ** , but…

Kyle calls in some guards, but Zane can barely hear him. "Take them back to their lockers.” He instructs. “Someone will come fetch them when we find the bird."

Cryptor speaks quickly, clear fear in his voice. “It’s connected to us, I- I can call it.”

Zane can hear their voices, but he’s unsure of the meaning behind the words. He can barely process his own thoughts, much less the world around him.

"Do it and you won't have to watch it being taken apart." 

Kyle’s voice is hazy, like it’s coming from far away. All Zane can do is stare numbly at the floor.

Cryptor pauses a moment before replying. “I- it’ll be outside the facility soon. Near the main entrance.”

"Good.” The blond nods. “Can you make one final message go through?"

They- they’re all pretty far away, I-“ The other nindroid cuts himself off. “I- I can. It’ll be a little glitchy, but I- I can do that. Wh- what do you want it to be?”

Zane can barely even register Kyle’s dark smile.

{ { { { { { { { { { ~ } } } } } } } } } }

Kai stares at the message that Zane’s Falcon projects on the screen.

< _ This line of communication is now permanently discontinued. Please refrain from looking for us. Don't call again, or please pick another android to contact instead. Thank you! _ >

“What did they…” he trails off, mind racing.

Scrambling, he tries to send a reply, to contact Zane or even Cryptor, to try and ask them what the hell is going on.

The message doesn’t go through.

Kai sits back in his seat, staring numbly at the screen once again. What did they do? How could they have found out? They had been being so  **_careful_ ** , damn it, how did this happen?!

Shakily, he takes a deep breath.

“It’ll be okay.” He assures himself. “It’ll be fine. They just… need to hold out a little longer on their own. We’ll get them back.”

“ **_We’ll get them back_ ** .”


	23. A Slow, Painful Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yeah this chapter made me cry writing it agsjgssh

“I still can’t believe we’re doing this.” Lloyd’s voice is shaky with disbelief as he pulls up another piece of paperwork. “I- I’m seriously going to run for Emperor.”

Kai nods, going through his own papers. “It’ll be worth it.” He assures. “And after we rescue Zane, you can just resign. There’s no law against that.” He pauses. “I don’t think there is, anyway.”

Lloyd turns to look at him. “You want me to run for Emperor just so that I can resign two minutes later?”

“No, I want you to run for Emperor so we can rescue Zane.” Kai arches an eyebrow as he reminds him of the point.

The green ninja sighs, nodding. “That’s fair. But if I did resign after, who would take my place? I can’t exactly trust a civilian with the role.”

Kai feels a grin form on his face as he comes up with an idea.

“Why not me?”

{ { { { { { { { { { ~ } } } } } } } } } }

Zane shifts in his bonds uncomfortably, refusing to make eye contact with anyone. 

"Comfortable, yet?" Kyle sounds like a mixture of amused and annoyed, and the tone only makes Zane feel worse.

He turns his head, refusing to look as the Falcon is brought into the room, flapping his wings and straining in their grasp as he’s taken to the table and stuck to it.

"I'm speaking to you.” Kyle points out. “So, you know, I kinda want an answer."

Trembling, Zane can hear his voice breaking as he speaks. “... please…” he begs the word softly, not even sure what he’s begging for. Mercy? Kyle would never give him that. And after what he’s done, accidentally or not, does he even deserve that?

The blond sighs. "...M'kay, it can wait.” He decides. “We have more important things to do, anyways."

Zane can feel himself tensing more and more as he watches Kyle out of protective gear from the corner of his eye. He steps closer to the Falcon, and Zane finally manages to make himself speak.

“W- wait.” He chokes the word out.

Glancing back at him, the blond frowns in slight confusion. "Hmm?"

Fumbling for words, Zane struggles to come up with some reasoning, some bluff, some way to keep Kyle from- from-

“I- I can’t let you-“ He gets out, his words broken and desperate. “-you can’t take him apart.” 

He stares pleadingly, silently begging even more, mind racing as he tries to find a way to stop this.

Kyle’s voice is gentle, consoling. “I have to.” He sighs. “I'm sorry but you have to learn that your actions have consequences. How else are you going to remember that? We've tried everything else already."

“I- I’ll remember.” Zane quickly forces the words out. I’ll…” He winces. “I’ll follow orders.”

"Yeah, see, that's the thing.” Kyle sighs, shaking his head. “You already tried that. Lying to us, telling us you'll behave and whatnot. And we can't have that happen again, can we? This way you  **_will_ ** learn your lesson."

“I- I can’t let you…“ His voice is weak and pathetic as he speaks. “ **_Please_ ** ?” 

"No. I'm not here to debate this with you.” The words are firm, brooking no room for argument. “I'm here for it." He gestures over at the Falcon, and Zane feels some annoyance seeping into him.

“He’s not an ‘it’, he’s not like me, I-“ Suddenly, he freezes, breathing catching as he realizes what words had just come out of his mouth.“Wait. Wait, that’s not what I…”

Kyle’s laugh is barely audible, but it still stings. "No, I think that's really what you meant.” He smirks some as he stares Zane down. “You know your worth, Original. It's not me you want to convince, though."

Dropping his gaze, Zane struggles to find an argument. “No.” He gets out. “No, no, no, no, no, that’s not true, I- slip of the tongue, a mistake, not- not something I believe, I…“ He shakes his head, trying to clear his mind and figure out what to do.

“Sure.” The amused voice that Kyle has showcases how the blond doesn’t believe him- Zane is struggling to believe himself.

He can hear a scarily familiar noise of metal clicking, but it doesn’t register for a long moment. He looks up, trying to find another point to make.

His stomach drops as he sees that the Falcon’s chest plate has been opened, allowing them all to see the bird’s inner workings.

He- he doesn’t have time to be worried about himself right now! He needs to protect his friend!

But all he can do is stare in horror as Kyle pokes around inside, an excited look on his face as he studies the wires.

It makes Zane feel  **_sick_ ** . This demented game of his is gut-churning, and after a moment, Zane turns his head, unable to look.

Kyle is quietly muttering something to himself as he examines the inner workings. The Falcon squawks, a distressed noise escaping him as the blond fiddles with something inside.

The noise forces Zane to look again, and now, he’s unable to tear his gaze away from the sight of his first real friend being taken apart in front of him.

His words are soft, helpless,  **_weak_ ** . “Leave him alone…” He breathes out, feeling himself begin to shake.

The blond is humming to himself as he ignores him, ignores both Zane’s words and the truth about the horrible things he’s doing.

Panic washes over him. “St- stop it, you can’t…” He raises his voice, trying to get Kyle’s attention. “ **_Master_ ** , please!” 

Softly, he continues. “Please, don’t…” He trails off, unsure of what to say.

"I told you. I won't.” Kyle shakes his head, glancing back at him for a moment. “Stop asking or this will not go as smoothly as it does now, alright?" 

Trembling, Zane realizes that he’s on the edge of  **_crying_ ** , on the edge of simply giving in to his misery.

“I can’t just sit here and do nothing!” He shouts as anger takes over, straining in his bonds.

"You've been doing it since the start.” Kyle points out. “Just behave, it's not that hard. Look, even the Falcon is taking it pretty well!" The blond smiles.

The Falcon’s left wing comes off.

Horror floods through every bit of him. “That’s not…” He trails off, cringing at the connection he shares to his friend, at the way he can almost  **_feel_ ** the same things he does.

Is there… there really is nothing he can do. Nothing he can do but watch, be a witness to the Falcon’s death.

The blond is still smiling, and Zane once again feels his stomach churn. This isn’t right. Zane would rather it be himself being dug through then have to watch this be done to his friend, but even if he offered, it would not be accepted.

This is a punishment. 

There’s nothing he can do but take it.

The other wing comes off, and Zane can feel his breathing becoming ragged, helpless to watch Kyle playing with the insides of his friend.

Zane tries to hold himself together, he really does, but he can feel himself breaking as he begins to cry, shaking and trembling as he does the non-human equivalent of tears.

The blond pauses for a moment, looking over at him. "...Are you crying?" He questions, seeming somewhat startled by this.

Zane continues to cry. “N- no.” He chokes out the word weakly, wishing he could tear his eyes away from the horrible sight.

Seeming amused, the blond shakes his head. "...Okay." He shrugs. After a few more moments of looking, he finds the Falcon’s power source. "Ah-hah!” He grins. “Finally!"

The power source. The most painful part that can possibly be manipulated, the sensors built in to protect it the best. 

The Falcon is going to die a horrible, painful death.

And there’s nothing Zane can do about it.

Shaking, trembling, a horrible idea comes to his mind. He’s- he’s still connected to the Falcon. He could possibly save him from such a painful fate… 

If he shut him down himself.

Zane rapidly shakes his head, dismissing the idea as he begins to sob every more, hating how it even came to mind. He couldn’t do that to his friend! He- he couldn’t cause his death!

So he does nothing but stare as the power source is manipulated, closely inspected by the blond who has become the bane of Zane’s existence. The Falcon starts to struggle more, and much to Zane’s dismay, Kyle  **_shuts off his voice box_ ** .

"Better." The blond mutters to himself, continuing to examine the source.

Maybe- maybe the idea he had  **_would_ ** be better. To just… put the Falcon out of his misery. To save him from such a slow death.

Zane feels his breathing even out some as he comes to his conclusion, knowing what he has to do.

The blond begins to cut wires that connect to the power source, but his friend is unable to even scream, unable to do anything but take the horrible misery.

Zane ducks his head, his voice barely audible, even to himself.

“Forgive me, my old friend.” 

The words are soft, broken, representative of how he feels on the matter. But he has no other choice.

He initiates a permanent forced shut down.

Kyle seems startled when the eyes of the Falcon dim and go out, blinking in confusion."Hmm?” He murmurs to himself. “Urgh, darn it. Probably cut too many too quickly.” He sighs, shaking his head. “Well, let's finish this anyways. We could use the parts."

Barely even listening to the first part, Zane feels himself go rigid at the second.

“No, don’t… Master, please, I- let him rest, now.” Zane begs desperately, his voice shaking. “He… I’m not asking for a burial, just…  **_let him be_ ** .”

Kyle hesitates for a long moment as he glances between the deceased Falcon and Zane. Finally, after a long pause of looking torn, the blond nods.

"...Fine.” He concedes.”Not much we could do of it, anyways. The components are too unique."

Ducking his head, Zane feels a wave of relief wash over it. “Th- thank you, Master.” 

But as he looks at the body of the Falcon, at the body of his first real friend, lifeless and unmoving, he feels himself start to cry once again.

The blond wears a bittersweet expression. "Don't get used to it."

Zane gives a miserable nod, his words breathed out softly. “I- I won’t. I…” 

He hesitates a long moment before continuing.

“I- I apologize for my previous words and actions.” He whispers. “I’ll…  **_behave_ ** from now on.” 

He hates having to speak the words, but what he hates even more is that they’re true. He really doesn’t plan to disobey again.

Zane looks back up at Kyle, looking him in the eyes as he struggles for words, for something to say.

Nothing comes to mind, and he simply lowers his gaze, feeling himself begin to sob once more.

He was built to protect those who cannot protect themselves. 

But he can’t even protect  **_himself_ ** . He can’t fulfill his one function, the one thing that he was created to do.

Maybe it’s better this way. Now, the only one he can let down is himself.

And he doesn’t matter that much, anyway.


	24. “Yes, Master.”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is kinda short sorry about that-

“Yes, Master.” Zane nods his acknowledgement of the order and begins to solve the problems he had been given.

It’s been around eight months since his capture. How long exactly, Zane is unsure, but to his dismay, he finds that he… doesn’t really care. Does it matter? He can find out how long he’s been captured if he gets out.

**_When_ ** . When he gets out. He will be freed eventually, it will just… be a little while longer. He will simply have to wait, and follow the orders he is given in the meantime.

He follows every instruction to the best of his ability. He still doesn’t believe the lies they tell him about his worth, but he says what he is told to say on the matter.

“Original. How are you doing?” Martha prompts from nearby.

Zane feels a wave of confusion wash over him. What answer is expected of him here? “Erm… good?” He tries, hoping that his response is correct.

The blast of electricity makes him whimper, shuddering at the horrible feeling.

“You’re a nindroid. You don’t have real emotions- only a fake programmed version of them.” Martha corrects.

Curling in on himself some, Zane nods his agreement, despite not truly believing such. “My apologies, Master. I am doing…” he pauses a moment, trying to find the right words. “... I am functioning properly.” He corrects. 

Martha nods, and Zane goes back to his work, studying the complex equations carefully. The point here is not getting the answers, but to make Zane understand that he needs to follow orders.

It had taken him a while to realize that, but there isn’t much he can do. He has to follow the instructions they give him… who knows what they’ll do if he refuses.

He doesn’t speak to Cryptor as often, not even with Morse Code. It’s too risky; they cannot afford to get caught. 

It’s been quite some time since they’ve used the images of his team to harm him, and this has the unfortunate consequence of Zane… forgetting.

Contrary to popular belief, being a nindroid does not mean a perfect memory. At first, yes, but there still is not enough storage space for everything, and over time, things are automatically deleted to make room.

The image of Kai’s face is fuzzy now, the sight of his crooked smile and carefully styled hair is foggy at best.

The sound of Jay’s voice is distorted, the way his laugh would ring out after he told a joke humorous only to him and the hyperness in his voice when he was talking about something he was passionate about has begun to fade.

The feeling of being in Cole’s arms is faint, the gentleness that someone so strong had for him and the warmth from his hold is no longer so easily brought to mind.

Zane sighs, trying to dispel the thoughts. He shouldn’t be thinking about that- thinking about what he no longer has will only cause more pain, and he’s miserable enough as it is.

He tries to go back to his work, but much to his dismay, his motor functions glitch, and instead of writing something down, he slams his fist into the table hard enough that it hurts.

Fear takes a grasp on him, and he struggles to go back to the problems once again. Unfortunately, he can’t seem to get a proper grip on the pen, and it slips from his hands.

Martha walks up behind him, and his breathing quickens. “It- it was a glitch. I haven’t been able to do proper maintenance while I’ve been here, and-“

“Be quiet, Original.” Thankfully, she doesn’t sound angry, but instead slightly thoughtful and maybe even slightly concerned. After a moment, she sighs. “We’ll have to get that looked at.” She mutters to herself.

Zane stays perfectly still, wary of upsetting her. An angry Master is the last thing he needs at the moment.

Thankfully, they allow him to stop working on the problems and take him back to his… wait. This- this isn’t the way to his locker.

They’re taking him to the workshop.

The last time Zane was in the workshop, he had been forced to- he had been made to watch them- he- the Falcon was-

Zane can feel himself trembling as he’s taken back, but he doesn’t dare resist. While he can’t see any way that the situation could be worse, he does not doubt for a moment that it could.

He debates trying to run when they start tying him to the table, but he quickly rejects the idea. It’s too risky, and will only result in more punishment.

A mechanic walks in, and Zane feels as though a weight has been lifted off of him. It will not be Kyle working on him, and for that, he is very much grateful.

He remains silent as his chest plate is opened, but when the man begins to dig around inside of him, Zane fails to muffle his quiet noise of fear.

“Stop resisting, Original.” Martha gives the order from off to his side. “This is not a punishment, but it could very easily become one.”

“Y- yes, Master.” Zane chokes on his own fear as he speaks. All he can see is the way his friend was torn apart in front of him, and though the event has passed, it still occupies his mind.

Wires are tugged on, gears are inspected, vital parts are pushed around… this is its own kind of torment, a kind that no human could ever experience. The feeling of his inner guts being toyed with has him breathing heavily, trying to block out both his pain and terror.

“Please…” The word is only a soft whisper, but he silently curses himself for speaking up. He is not supposed to speak out of turn, and doing so will mean that he will end up in pain- more so than he would have gone through if he had been able to keep his mouth shut. 

But when a hand brushes against his power source, Zane can’t find it in himself to hold back. The only thing occupying his mind is fear as all common sense is thrown out the window. 

“Stop, don’t- please, stop it!” He struggles in his bonds, but is unable to make any leeway. Recently he has become able to ignore quite a deal of pain, but hands manipulating his innards is a feeling that he will likely never get used to. 

He can hear the beginnings of a verbal reprimand, but something bumps against what functions as his spinal cord- where all his sensors meet.

He couldn’t hold back his scream if he tried.

Thankfully, the pressure quickly stops, but there is a residual ache where it had been touched, and Zane finds himself sucking in shaky breaths.

Martha seems annoyed as she glares at him. “Original, you-“

“It hurts.” Zane chokes out. “I’ve been  **_behaving_ ** , I shouldn’t be being hurt. I haven’t done anything to deserve-“

A blast of pain makes him cry out again, shaking and trembling as they continue to manipulate his inner workings.

“Let me explain something to you, Original.” Martha’s voice is as cold as ice. “You deserve  **_nothing_ ** . You aren’t human. You aren’t even  **_alive_ ** . You are nothing more than zeroes and ones, and even if you do everything right… you will never be deserving of  **_anything_ ** . You’re not even really suffering here, this is only a programmed response to it. Because you are  **_lesser_ ** . And you always will be.”

For a moment, Zane doesn’t react. He doesn’t know how. So after a few moments, he resorts to his default reply.

“Yes, Master.” He forces his voice to remain steady.

To agree is the only option he has left.


	25. “... what do you plan to do with me?”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There’s something slightly extra angsty in Zane’s section... try and see if you can figure out what ;)
> 
> Also! Politics suck why did I do this to myself-

Kai groans as he stares at his computer. “This is a lot harder than I thought…” he mutters to himself, closing his eyes for a moment.

But he quickly shakes his head, returning to the computer. Zane needs him! It doesn’t matter what he has to do or how exhausting it is, he needs to save him.

Politics are the absolute  **_worst_ ** , but this  **_was_ ** Kai’s idea, so he’s going to have to suck it up and keep going. 

Right now, he’s looking into how Lloyd can start running on the ballot: there are two main political parties, and if they want to stand even a  **_chance_ ** of getting him elected, they’re going to need to find a way to get him on one.

The current Emperor- or in this case, Empress- is called Harumi, and she’s running again on the political party Monocrean. So the other political party, Arosticarist, will-

Kai mutters a quiet curse as he reads the next line.  **_Damn it_ ** .

Someone is already running on the ballot.

His name is… Rune Duncan, apparently. Huh. Kai’s never heard of him, but he’s never really been all that invested in politics. 

But if they already have someone running, there’s no way that Lloyd could get in!

Grinding his teeth, Kai shakes his head. No, no,  **_no_ ** ! They’ve come so far! 

With a huff, he gets to his feet, grabbing a jacket and heading out. His house arrest had ended the other day, so thankfully he can go to Borg Tower without breaking any laws.

It doesn’t take him long to find Sentry, who’s talking to some weird blond. But when Kai tries to get into the room… 

The automatic door won’t open.

Why does technology hate him so much? What did he ever do to make technology work against him?

“So how has your paper been coming along?” The nindroid general prompts, not seeming to have noticed him.

"Pretty well, actually!” The blond chirps. “But there's still so much I want to learn here, so it may end up being twenty something pages long-"

Finally, Kai manages to get the door open. Ignoring the other guy, he goes up to Sentry. “We have a problem.”

Sentry frowns. “... well hello to you too.” He pauses a moment before adding, “What’s wrong?”

Wasting no time, he cuts to the chase. “Did I tell you about the new plan? Rescuing Zane by making Lloyd Emperor?” 

He gets a head shake in response. “No, but it’s all over the news, so I kinda figur- wait, that’s why you’re doing it?”

Annoyingly enough, Kai can’t answer, because the other guy there decides to speak up. "Hey, haven't I seen you trending on Chirp? You're that, uh,  **_Kia_ ** guy."

“The name’s  **_Kai_ ** , actually.” He corrects. “Look, I don’t know what you do here, but I’ve got something kind of important going on, and I think you should go do something else.” He makes a gesture for him to leave, but Sentry shakes his head, looking mildly annoyed.

“Actually, no, he works here and I was talking to him.” The nindroid general argues. “He can keep working while we talk.”

The blond gives him a smug look, and Kai makes sure to shoot him a glare before continuing on with his point.

“Okay, fine, whatever.” He agrees. “We’re having Lloyd run for Emperor so that he can have the authority so get Zane out of there.”

Sentry nods. “And Cryptor, right?”

Kai feels his frustration building again. “Yeah, him too. Not the point. The issue is that there’s already someone running on both ballots. We need to find a way to get him on one.”

The blond speaks up again. “Have you asked any of them if Lloyd could join them?" He prompts.

“Wh-  **_no_ ** .” Kai scoffs. “No, we haven’t, because...“ He stops as he realizes that that might actually be a good idea. “... well. That might work, I guess?”

Sentry shakes his head with a grimace. “No politician gets this far by being nice.” He points out. “They wouldn’t let Lloyd join unless we have a good excuse for them to consider it.”

"Well, there's loads of good reasons and excuses.” Kyle returns. “Blackmail, mainly, has been proven to be…  **_useful_ ** ."

Kai stares at him for a minute, trying to process what the hell he’s talking about. Blackmail?  **_Seriously_ ** ?

Eventually, he turns back to Sentry. “... so these are the kind of people you hire here, huh?”

The blond scowls at him, crossing his arms. "I mean, you haven't contributed much yourself. I'm just saying, this could be a possibility."

With a snort, Kai shakes his head. “Yeah, but that’s a little thing we like to call  **_illegal_ ** .” He reminds.

“Has that really stopped you so far?” Sentry looks disapproving as he speaks. “How many laws have you broken already?”

A sputtering noise escapes him as he tries to come up with a defense. “Aggravated assault is one thing, blackmail is completely different!”

It only registers that the former is actually worse when he gets a  **_look_ ** from the nindroid general.

His face starts to heat up as he crosses his arms, trying to find a way to play it cool. “Why are you trying to convince me to break  **_more_ ** laws?” He argues. “Weren’t you just trying to get me to stop?”

“I’m not trying to get you to commit more, I’m trying to point out how bad the ones you’ve already committed are!” Sentry seems to be at his wits end.

As Kai’s about to respond, he notices the blond stifling a laugh of some kind. Frustration wells up inside of him again, and he turns to glare at him.

“Something funny?” He snaps.

The blond smirks. "Nothing for you to worry about."

Kai opens his mouth to snark back, but Sentry speaks up before he can.

“Okay, we’re done here.” The nindroid general pinches the bridge of his nose. “Kai, why don’t you brainstorm with your team to come up with an ethical way to convince them to let Lloyd join. Kyle, please don’t antagonize him- I know he’s annoying, but-“

“Wh-“ Kai fumbles for an argument against that. “He started it!” He snaps.

Sentry gives a tired sigh, but Kyle is soon talking. "Please, Sentry.” He gives Kai a wide, plastic smile. “We're like best friends now!" 

Sucking in a deep breath, Kai resists the urge to do something that would probably get him banned from Borg Tower for life. Instead, he forces a strained smile. “Yeah, sure, whatever.” He agrees tightly. “Just stop talking.”

Groaning, Sentry shakes his head “Could you at least  **_pretend_ ** to be polite?” He pleads.

Huffing, Kai crosses his arms again. “Like I said: he started it.”

He notices the blond- Kyle, had Sentry said?- typing something on his phone. After a moment, he stops, and Sentry sighs again, glancing at him. 

“Kai.” He looks the brunet dead in the eyes. “Go back to the Bounty. I’ll try to come up with some things on my end, but you should keep working on yours.”

Flashing the blond another glare, he gives in. “Fine, I’ll leave.” After getting the words out and turning towards the exit, he pauses. He doesn’t like what he’s about to do, but Zane would probably want him to be polite, if he were still here… 

Quietly, he mumbles, “... thanks for the advice, I guess.” 

He can  **_hear_ ** the smug grin in Kyle’s voice. "That? Oh, that was nothing, you're very welcome."

Sucking in a deep breath, Kai heads out, back to the Bounty. 

It’s time to do some research on this Rune Duncan.

{ { { { { { { { { { ~ } } } } } } } } } }

Zane stares blankly at his handcuffs, staying silent as he walks.

As of late, Kyle and occasionally a guard will take him out of his locker and walk him around, most likely to prevent any of his joints from locking up after having been caged away for so long.

Still, the logical reasoning behind it doesn’t make the way he’s taken around by a chain on his cuffs like a  **_dog on a leash_ ** any less humiliating.

After a while, Kyle speaks up. “How are your ankles?” He prompts. “They look fine, they didn't lock up once this time."

The words make Zane instinctively glance down at his feet. “I’m functioning normally.” His voice has a very bitter note to it as he speaks. “Nothing’s currently locking up.”

"Good.” Kyle smiles- and not even a psychopathic one. “That's awesome." 

There’s silence for a long minute as they walk, but Zane doesn’t speak. He just stares downwards numbly and waits to be addressed.

There’s a part of him screaming at the injustice of it all, at the way he’s being treated and the humiliation he’s been forced to endure. But the vast majority of it simply…  **_doesn’t care_ ** . 

This is happening to him whether he resists or not, so why should he keep fighting? It never makes a difference, and he’s been fighting for so long that he just… wants a break. To be able to rest. He’s so tired of all of this, and it feels so much easier to simply give in to their whims.

After a few more moments, Kyle speaks up.

"...Kai passed by, today.” He comments. “Talked about politics." As he speaks, he seems to be studying him carefully.

Zane tiredly glances up, not enough to make eye contact. He doesn’t know whether to believe the words, but it doesn’t really matter if he does. Having an actual verbal conversation is a form of relief, and Zane will gladly take this chance.

“That’s interesting.” He comments quietly. “Did he mention me?”

There’s a low chuckle. "He did, actually! He's still trying to get both of you out, somehow.” Kyle smiles as he shakes his head. “Good to know some things don't change."

Some things never change, huh? Just like the torturous routine in this facility.

A tired sigh escapes him as he looks off to the side. “Yes, good to know,” he agrees in a dull tone.

"I'm actually surprised at how little you care about him, now.” The blond continues to walk alongside him, thankfully not randomly tugging on the chain like he had done in times past. “I mean, it was never real emotions, but it's weird not hearing you ask desperately about him like before."

Zane feels himself tense up. “They  **_are_ ** real emotions.” He growls out under his breath.

Kyle suddenly stops, making Zane stumble at the unexpected pause. "Zeroes and ones. It's the only real thing about them." He reminds, stepping in close. "You better remember that."

Refusing to look up, it gives a weak nod. “I’ll remember…” he agrees, hating how little  **_life_ ** is left in his voice as he speaks.

"Good.” Kyle has a satisfied smile on his face. “Let's go." He prompts, starting to walk again.

Zane dutifully follows, cursing himself for how easily he’s begun to give in. There wasn’t even a real threat this time, he had simply given in of his own accord.

His days are numbered.

At the realization, he stops in his tracks, feeling himself begin to tremble, fear taking a cold grasp over him.

Kyle stops beside him, raising an eyebrow in a way to demand answers. 

He finally manages to look up, to look Kyle in the eyes. His voice is barely above a whisper as he speaks a simple haunting question.

“... what do you plan to do with me?”

There’s a brief pause before Kyle answers him. It seems that he doesn’t quite understand what Zane’s getting at.

"Break you.” He says bluntly, seeming almost confused by the question. “I thought it was obvious."

Zane manages to shake its head. “No, I know that.” He agrees. “But… after that. When you’ve won. What will become of me?”

The question sets dread seeping through him as his mind comes with worse and worse possibilities of what he may be made to do. 

Kyle frowns, seeming to be pondering the question. "...We could use extra engineers for weapons no one in their right mind would agree to build." He decides.

Confusion momentarily takes place of the dark feeling inside. “... you were upset that someone had died because of me, but you would use me to create things to kill others?” He questions.

Kyle’s voice is quiet and almost threatening. "...Gavin was the only thing I cared about. Still is. Now…" He looks over at Zane, and he can see the bitter darkness in his eyes. "...Now the world can burn, for all I care."

After taking a moment to process the words, Zane gives a soft nod and looks back down. “Thank you.”

He can feel Kyle’s confusion. "For what?" The blond questions.

“Answering.” Zane says simply. “I… I do not  **_want_ ** to build weapons, but I… I’m glad to at least know what my future will be before I…” He trails off.

Before he no longer cares.

There’s a bitter laugh from the blond. "Not like you have a choice." After a pause, he sighs. "I feel like I'm being way too nice to you again."

Zane stays quiet, unsure of what to say. He keeps his eyes cast downwards as he waits for further instruction.

There’s a dark pause for a moment before Kyle roughly yanks on the chain connected to his cuffs. "Walk." He orders.

Zane stays silent as he does what he’s told.

There are no words left for it to say.


End file.
